AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2011
SA:Rann to step down on October 20
By Tim Dornin
ADELAIDE, Aug 8 AAP - South Australian Premier Mike Rann will stand down on October
20, leaving premier-in-waiting Jay Weatherill more than two months' wait to take charge
of the ailing Labor government.
Mr Rann told reporters on Monday he was leaving earlier than he had intended, revealing
for the first time that he had planned to stay on until March next year, midway through
his government's third term.
He was forced to change those plans after details that were leaked more than a week
ago revealed Labor's factional bosses had agreed Education Minister Weatherill would replace
him.
The deal is likely a compromise between Mr Rann, who had insisted he would choose the
timing of his own departure, and those in the ALP who wanted to force him out immediately.
Labor's state convention, originally scheduled for early October, will now be delayed
until after Mr Rann steps down.
But parliament will sit again in September and the opposition is certain to use the
opportunity to lambast Mr Rann as a lame-duck leader.
The premier said he still believed there was no pressing need to make the change to
a new premier, with more than two years to go to the next state election.
But he said after details of his meeting with party powerbrokers were revealed, continued
speculation over the date of his departure would have hurt the government and the state.
"The people of South Australia elected me and they have a right to know when and why
I am stepping down," Mr Rann said.
"So I have therefore determined that in order to complete the job I have to do and
to best assist Jay and the government in the leadership transition, I will step down from
the office of premier on October 20."
Mr Rann said he still wanted to finalise negotiations with BHP Billiton over the future
expansion of the Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine in the state's north, which is set
to become the world's biggest mine.
He will bring Mr Weatherill into those negotiations after applying what he said was
a "ticking clock" to a sign-off on the contract details.
The quietly-spoken Mr Weatherill stood alongside Mr Rann on Monday as the premier outlined
his exit plan.
A member of Labor's left, he is considered the party's best chance of retaining office
in 2014 after a recent slide in support for the government and an equally dramatic slump
in Mr Rann's approval rating.
Ahead of his investiture as the state's 45th premier, Mr Weatherill said it would be
a privilege to take over from Mr Rann after serving under him as a minister for nine and
a half years.
"I've enjoyed every moment of that," he said.
"I look forward to the insights, the extraordinary insights, he no doubt has about this state."
But SA deputy opposition leader Mitch Williams said Mr Rann's 10-week delay before
stepping down was farcical and ego-serving.
"Today we've seen the farcical end of Mike Rann's premiership," he said.
"Worse still, we've seen this state put on hold for 10 weeks because of Mike Rann's ego."
The Greens were also concerned BHP Billiton would now have the upper hand in contract
negotiations over Olympic Dam with Mr Rann facing a self-imposed deadline.
"All BHP Billiton has to do is hold out and watch the clock ticking down, knowing the
premier needs their signature on the deal before October 20," Greens MP Mark Parnell said.
Mr Rann said Mr Weatherill was "absolutely capable" of taking over immediately.
But he said concluding the negotiations over the Olympic Dam was absolutely vital to the state.
"What I'm doing is putting the state's interests first," Mr Rann said.
"I'm putting my state before my party, but in doing so I'm serving my party best."
The premier said he had not given any thought as to whether he would continue in parliament
after stepping down.
Born in England but largely raised and educated in New Zealand, he has headed Labor
in SA since the 1993 election when the party was reduced to just 10 seats.
He led it to power in 2002 in a minority government.
His scheduled departure means he will have served longer as premier than the nine and
a half years of his mentor Don Dunstan.
But he'll fall short of the record set by John Bannon, who will remain SA's longest-serving
Labor premier with a tenure just short of 10 years.
AAP tjd/jnb/was/nb
KEYWORD: RANN WRAP (WITH PIC AND VIDEO)
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