South Australia's Best Premier

[dedja]

My mistake, social reform can't hold a candle to economic reform.

[DOC]

Dunstan! Every day I sit in traffic jam I think of him, economic poisoner of the state, one of the reasons I have detested the Labor party for 40 years. Sold the country rail network to balance the books, sold the land set aside for the MATS rapid transport freeway proposal to balance the books again, consorted with some very unsavoury characters. You couln't get petrol or meat in this metro area after 6pm........very ******* progressive. A pox on him.

Playford transformed SA from an agrarian state to an industrial state, nationionalised electricity, best ever Labor premie r.

Steele Hall, abortion law reform, began the development that lead to the festival theatre, electoral reform to remove the gerrymander

Brown/Olsen cleaned up the mess left by Bannon

Tonkin.....supported indigenous rights, Adelaide international airport... most underated premier IMHO

Ah, true love not diminshed by time. I was not aware that he imposed the closing times on butchers and service stations.

As they say, 78% of all statistics are just made up.

[The Apostle]

Either Tom Playford or Charles Kingston...the rest not even close to these two!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premiers_o ... _Australia

Looking at the list it's interesting how many have lasted no more than a year or two. Also, only six premiers have lasted longer than 5 years...Kingston, Butler (2nd stint), Playford, Dunstan, Bannon and Rann...Olsen just falling short.

[redandblack]

In our lifetime, there has only been one short period where SA was the envy of Australia.

That sets Dunstan apart from any other premier.

Tom Playford maintained power with one of the worst gerrymanders in Australian history. His most famous quote related to having a referendum on starting a lottery. "That would be like putting poison in the hands of children".

Apart from that, Tom was an honest plodder who did a lot of good (if you know what's good for you). Mick would be pleased that he could blame Tom, not Don, for everything closing at 6pm

I'm pleased, though, that mick, having put Liberals originally 1st to 5th and blaming Dunstan for everything, including the black plague, then elevates him to "4th or 5th".

[am Bays]

In our lifetime, there has only been one short period where SA was the envy of Australia.

And this is absed on on what evidence?? A nationwide survey on preferred states to live in?? Seriously R&B you do yourself little credit for your normal salient political observations (which while I don't always agree with I do respect) However you can get away with blanket un-substantiate statemwnets like that.

Having spent over 17 years of my life (almost 50% of it) interstate I can-not recall one person coming up to me and say "Damn I wished I lived in SA during the 70s??"

If you look at the legislative reforms of Charles Kingston compared to Hall and Dunstan they seriously dwarf it. In fact Dunstan's reforms are mere extensions of the significant reforms of Kingston.

[Leaping Lindner]

In our lifetime, there has only been one short period where SA was the envy of Australia.

And this is absed on on what evidence?? A nationwide survey on preferred states to live in?? Seriously R&B you do yourself little credit for your normal salient political observations (which while I don't always agree with I do respect) However you can get away with blanket un-substantiate statemwnets like that.

Having spent over 17 years of my life (almost 50% of it) interstate I can-not recall one person coming up to me and say "Damn I wished I lived in SA during the 70s??"

If you look at the legislative reforms of Charles Kingston compared to Hall and Dunstan they seriously dwarf it. In fact Dunstan's reforms are mere extensions of the significant reforms of Kingston.

Well I've spent 1/3 of my life in Victoria and I talk politics with a lot of people (that and music ) and Dunstan's name always comes up when talking politics and social reforms. I even know a handful of Victorians that moved to SA in the 70's!! They've since moved back naturally. Admittedly not many people say they wish they were in SA during the heady days of Bannon or Brown. Mind you not many people even know who they are.

You do realise Kingston was a dirty lefty don't you AM?

[Leaping Lindner]

In my lifetime Steele Hall and Don Dunstan would tie. Two great leaders who were able to look past the next election and put the good of the State first.

Worst - Dean Brown by a mile. He should have been called biege not Brown. Talk about going back in time.

I always value your opinion LL, but without trying to be a smartarse, when did Don put the welfare of the state ahead of his party? with Steele Hall removal of the gerrymander come under that criterion one could also argue the Dartmouth (Hall) versus (Dunstan) Chowilla dams would be similar. except that Chowilla had it ever been built would have been the greatest environmental vandalism ever perpetrated in Australia, not that it was considered as such by either side at the time, but would have flooded unique forrest and created a vast shallow lake near the SA border. Hall lost government over this issue and history has proved him right. Dartmouth was built Chowilla wasn't.

I rank Playford first, Hall second, Tonkin third, Dunstan 4th or 5th, Brown /Olsen were not great but somebody had to clean up the mess left by the Bannon.

Mick the fact that Steele Hall effectively removed himself from office by getting rid of the gerrymander speaks volumes for the man and his principles. Always been and always will be a big fan. A true "Liberal".

[mick]

My mistake, social reform can't hold a candle to economic reform.

Social reform even democracy means nothing if you do not have the financial means to exercise those freedoms. Tom Playford set the State up for future prosperity and the subsequent social reforms.

[mick]

In our lifetime, there has only been one short period where SA was the envy of Australia.

That sets Dunstan apart from any other premier.

Tom Playford maintained power with one of the worst gerrymanders in Australian history. His most famous quote related to having a referendum on starting a lottery. "That would be like putting poison in the hands of children".

Apart from that, Tom was an honest plodder who did a lot of good (if you know what's good for you). Mick would be pleased that he could blame Tom, not Don, for everything closing at 6pm

I'm pleased, though, that mick, having put Liberals originally 1st to 5th and blaming Dunstan for everything, including the black plague, then elevates him to "4th or 5th".

I think that no meat or petrol after 6pm survived the majority of the Dunstan decade, then I suppose Don was so busy setting up the Athens of the South they we low on his priorities He did abolish 6pm closing in the pubs....for that I applaud him

[Leaping Lindner]

I think that no meat or petrol after 6pm survived the majority of the Dunstan decade, then I suppose Don was so busy setting up the Athens of the South they we low on his priorities He did abolish 6pm closing in the pubs....for that I applaud him

We can all drink to that!!!

[Jimmy_041]

Was that at the Green Dragon hotel?

[Leaping Lindner]

Was that at the Green Dragon hotel?

No. The Hackney Hotel I believe

[redandblack]

In our lifetime, there has only been one short period where SA was the envy of Australia.

And this is absed on on what evidence?? A nationwide survey on preferred states to live in?? Seriously R&B you do yourself little credit for your normal salient political observations (which while I don't always agree with I do respect) However you can get away with blanket un-substantiate statemwnets like that.

Having spent over 17 years of my life (almost 50% of it) interstate I can-not recall one person coming up to me and say "Damn I wished I lived in SA during the 70s??"

If you look at the legislative reforms of Charles Kingston compared to Hall and Dunstan they seriously dwarf it. In fact Dunstan's reforms are mere extensions of the significant reforms of Kingston.

Based on first-hand evidence of being there at the time, aB, rather than asking interstaters 30 years later

Supported by LL's post.

[LBT]

That Pic is at the Highway Inn...they have a huge mural of it in the sports bar.

[dedja]

Have they got his '76 surfboard as well?

[Psyber]

Only interstate lefties fancied living in SA in the 1970s under Dunstan, while he was pioneering the ALP policy of spending the superannuation funds and leaving the liability unfunded.
I remember him saying, "We are the state government , we'll replace those funds when needed."
Bannon couldn't replace them when the time came, and I understand the Rann government has done it again, not learning from the ALP's past.
Any private employer who spent the saved Superannuation funds of his employees would finish up in gaol, yet the ALP keeps doing it..

[dedja]

Turn it up Psyber, politically baised codswallop my friend.

Maybe try hanging out with real people, not your silver spoon, born to rule mates.

[redandblack]

Only interstate lefties fancied living in SA in the 1970s under Dunstan, while he was pioneering the ALP policy of spending the superannuation funds and leaving the liability unfunded.
I remember him saying, "We are the state government , we'll replace those funds when needed."
Bannon couldn't replace them when the time came, and I understand the Rann government has done it again, not learning from the ALP's past.
Any private employer who spent the saved Superannuation funds of his employees would finish up in gaol, yet the ALP keeps doing it..

Psyber, as you well know, they were exciting times to live in SA, as Dunstan overturned all the nanny state restrictions that had existed for so long under Playford. SA became the clear leader in social issues, the arts and many other areas, but it was mainly Dunstan's avcknowledgement that adults didn't need to be kept in straitjackets that made his regime so popular (and not just with 'lefties').

Of course, while this was happening, you (presumably as a relatively young man) were worried about superannuation...........

[Psyber]

No, I wasn't thinking Superannuation then.
I'd just bought a 260Z and was thinking of my first Porsche!

My sister in real estate though was fuming about the new Land and Tenancies Act because it exempted the SA Housing Trust from the provisions.
Don's explanation, "It is part of the government and will always treat its tenants better than the law requires."
It was similar to being allowed to spend the state superannuation funds, and, like with that, there were later incidents that made the words look hollow.
I've always distrusted governments that exempt themselves from their own laws - it makes me suspect they don't really believe in them..

However, I did support other aspects of the liberalisation, and I do think Don was right about limiting Adelaide's growth and developing Monarto.
It is a pity that one didn't happen.

[Dog_ger]

1. Playford

2. Dunstan

3. Olsen

With a special mention to Olsen. Paying off the State Bank Debt. Me and my children Thank you.