South Australia

For many years, the state of South Australia has been treated like a poor cousin by the rest of Australia.

Every Melbourne based comedian takes a cheap shot at some point or another (but we still invite them back to perform to packed houses at the Adelaide Fringe - which is the second largest event of it's type in the world) while many Sydney based business people have trouble locating Adelaide on the map.

Where is Adelaide? T-shirt by retrofitthefuture
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The truth is that we deserve some of the ridicule and sometimes we are our own worst enemies but lately South Australia and Adelaideans in particular, seem to have got some of their self confidence back and we seem to be channeling the spirit of Don Dunstan.

South Australia Shirt by retrofitthefuture
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For the benefit of OS readers, Don Dunstan was the Premier of South Australia during most of the 1970's. Don Dunstan oversaw one of the most progressive era's in South Australian history, directly after one of the most staid and conservative. Among the many 'firsts' that were achieved during his years as Premier, he was the first (and last) Australian politician to wear pink shorts in Parliament. 

But back to the present and South Australia is now the only State of the Commonwealth with a Labor Government (again, of OS readers, The Australian Labor Party are to the left of the political spectrum) 

It can be argued that we gave Australia both Christopher Pyne (Federal Education Minister) and Corey Bernardi (hairshirt wearing, self flagellating, Liberal senator) but we only did that to get them out of SA and there is no truth to the rumour that it was some kind of revenge for all the jokes about us - to our credit, when we realised what we'd done, we elected Penny Wong (gay, Asian and female Labor senator, to even things up a bit and scare the bejesus out of Tony Abbott)   

Now for all those who live on the eastern seaboard or to the west or north of us, please note that South Australia is the most politically progressive state of Australia at the moment and as proof of this statement allow me to present Exhibit A......

Exhibit A

Now there are some interesting numbers in Exhibit A. Firstly 33% renewable energy target and secondly, SIX (6) years ahead of schedule. 

I should also point out that we have had a 'cash for container' scheme since the seventies and for a long time it was only one of two in the world and that we have recently appointed a former refugee (from Vietnam) as our Governor.

You will have to excuse me now, I have to feed my smug and take it for a walk.