Liberals set to take power in SA: Poll
A last minute verbal gaffe from would-be premier Steven Marshall will not stop the Liberals seizing power tomorrow, according to an exclusive 7News Reachtel poll.
At a confectionery manufacturer in Adelaide today, Mr Marshall was asked whether he had spoken to other Liberal candidates about the need to avoid making mistakes when polls showed the party was so close to victory.
"I think the entire team has been very focused, very disciplined, very hard-working in this campaign," Mr Marshall responded.
"It's been gruelling, there's no doubt about it, but we're only a few short hours now away from when the polls open and I think if people in South Australia want change, they want a better future, they want to grow our economy, then they need to vote Labor tomorrow."
He was then asked to clarify if he had just said South Australians should vote for Labor if they wanted to grow the economy.
"No, we need to be voting Liberal tomorrow if we want to grow the economy," he said.
But his slip-up is unlikely to affect the overall result.
An exclusive 7News Reachtel poll of 1231 voters across South Australia still shows a 55-45 per cent Liberal margin, the same as a month ago.
It suggests seven seats could change hands, giving the Liberals a two-seat majority.
But the poll also shows Mr Marshall’s preferred premier rating has dropped by four points during the campaign and Mr Weatherill’s has risen by four points.
Premier Weatherill says Labor has kicked many goals, including Adelaide Oval’s redevelopment and the new Royal Adelaide Hospital.
“This momentum we’ve been building together, this investment we’ve been making, the new industries, creating new jobs, is all at risk,” Mr Weatherill said.
But Steven Marshall says under 12 years of Labor the economy has stalled, jobs are being lost not gained, and South Australia deserves a second chance.
“We’ve seen the way they’ve governed, it’s a very dysfunctional government, it’s a divided government, it hasn’t performed,” Mr Marshall said.
In a last minute pitch, Labor has made a minor law change, allowing alcohol consumption with barbecues in the Adelaide Oval car park on football match days.
