Hammond is ‘critical’ to Liberals’ election hopes, state leader Ashton Hurn says
South Australia’s Opposition Leader has visited Murray Bridge to campaign alongside MP Adrian Pederick.
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The Murraylands and long-serving MP Adrian Pederick are “critical” to the Liberal Party’s hopes for the next four years, the party’s new leader says.
State Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn visited Murray Bridge on Monday, two months out from the upcoming state election.
With the Liberals behind in opinion polls and Labor paying more attention to the region than at previous elections, how important were the Murraylands electorate of Hammond and its MP to her party’s efforts?
“Adrian is someone who provides … common sense in the parliament and he’s a fierce advocate for regional South Australia, not only for his local community,” she said.
“The way that he does fight for his communities is something that the people of Hammond need to continue into the future.
“We don’t take anything for granted (but) I’m going to be working tooth and nail to make sure that Adrian is returned, because I think he would do the best job of advocating and delivering results for the people of Hammond.”
Mr Pederick suggested that the state government had spent more than $220 million in Hammond during the Liberals’ last term in office, forking out for big projects like high school classrooms, a hospital emergency department and a road bridge upgrade.
“That’s what we want to do under a Hurn Liberal government,” he said.
“We (would) look at where the need is.”
Ms Hurn mingled a while with shoppers on Murray Bridge Marketplace on Monday before visiting a bus stop to spruik the Liberals’ promise about at Adelaide Metro service with 50-cent fares.
If Labor were serious about helping people with the cost of living, they should match that promise, she suggested.
She also stopped by the hospital to reinforce her frustration about the ongoing closure of the helipad there, which has increased the risks faced by critically ill patients since 2024.
Ms Hurn succeeded Vincent Tarzia as South Australia’s opposition leader in a unanimous party-room vote just last month.
That made her the fourth Liberal leader since the last election, following the retirement of former premier Steven Marshall and resignation of ex-leader David Speirs.
Liberals would spend $1 billion on roads
Meanwhile, Ms Hurn announced over the weekend that, if elected in March, the Liberals would increase government funding for road maintenance by 40 per cent.
That would mean spending an extra $300 million over four years, she said – an amount big enough to make a dent in the estimated $2.1 billion backlog of road works needed around SA.
“Everyone is expected to have roadworthy cars,” she said.
“Only a Hurn Liberal government will ensure our roads are finally car-worthy.”
Better country roads would reduce vehicle operating costs and increase productivity in the freight industry, Mr Pederick said.
“Our fund will be particularly important for regional communities, the people that travel these roads every single day,” he said.
However, state Infrastructure and Transport Minister and Labor MP Emily Bourke criticised the promise, arguing that the Liberals would have to cut funding for other projects to pay for it.
