I acknowledge the First Australians on whose land we meet, and whose cultures we celebrate as among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
It's an honour to join you on this sacred ground for the Australian Labor Party.
The site of past election campaign launches by Don Dunstan.
The man who represented Norwood in Parliament for more than a quarter of a century.
The man recognised as among the greatest Labor leaders and the greatest Australian Premiers.
The man who transformed South Australia - building a modern, sophisticated, confident and outward-looking South Australia that became a beacon for the nation.
Today, the bloke who started political life working for Don Dunstan, returns to the Norwood Town Hall.
As your leader.
As your Premier.
And seeking a fresh mandate from the people of South Australia.
Mike is Australia's most experienced Premier.
Mike Rann is an unapologetic champion for South Australia.
Most importantly, Mike is a leader who has delivered for South Australia.
With new industries.
New businesses.
New jobs for a new generation of South Australians.
In short a new vision for South Australia's future.
Friends, eight years ago, before Mike Rann became Premier, it was a different story for this state.
South Australia's unemployment rate was above the nation's average, at 7.2 per cent.
Kids were leaving to find jobs elsewhere.
And South Australians were worrying about their future.
Eight years later, things have changed.
Unemployment is just 4.4 per cent - well below (and no longer above) the nation's average.
The number of jobs in South Australia has grown by almost 20 per cent - as young people now stay rather than giving up and leaving the state.
And major projects are now coming to South Australia - not leaving South Australia, as in the past.
Friends, South Australia has experienced one of the greatest transformations of any state in the Federation.
And this is not an accident.
It's the result of Mike Rann, his cabinet and his government, working, working, working.
Providing strong leadership.
Providing responsible economic management.
And Mike always leading from the front.
But all this could be put at risk if an untested, ill-prepared and risky Liberal Party is allowed to slide back into power on March 20.
Friends, in the two years since the new Australian Government came to office nationally, we have built a strong partnership with the Rann Government.
Partnership is not a word.
Partnership is a fact.
Partnership investing in nation-building infrastructure.
A partnership in bringing the jobs and industries of the future to this great state.
And partnership in helping secure the future of South Australia's water supply.
From the day we established Infrastructure Australia, to set national priorities for infrastructure investment, Mike was the first Premier beating down my door.
And from the beginning, one thing was clear.
When Mike comes with an idea or proposal - it's never sloppy or half-baked.
It's worked out, thought through and carefully costed.
That's why South Australia's plans were among the first projects in the nation to be endorsed by Infrastructure Australia.
Since we came to office nationally, the Australian Government's investment in road and rail infrastructure in South Australia has increased by 264 per cent, compared to the Howard Government.
Like the Australian Government's $500 million investment in the South Road upgrade.
Almost $300 million for the electrification of Gawler rail line north.
$291 million to extend the Noarlunga rail line south down to Seaford.
$61 million investment million to extend the Adelaide O-Bahn road right into the heart of the city.
Our investment through the Local Government Reform Fund in four projects here in Adelaide - to develop new, innovative approaches to long-term city planning.
And let's never forget about our partnership on water.
Our investment of $328 million to double the capacity of Adelaide's desalination plant - powered by renewable energy - a plant capable of securing half of Adelaide's future water needs.
Do you know, the previous Federal government never invested a dollar in urban rail or urban water.
Not a single dollar.
That has now changed.
And changed fundamentally.
And if you want evidence of what partnership is all about - it's about real projects on the ground that would make a real different to the lives of working families.
I said before the transformation of South Australia has been profound.
And nowhere is this more evident than in the transformation of the South Australian economy.
An economy now diversifying into high-value industries and high-skilled jobs.
Transforming the economy from traditional manufacturing into high-tech manufacturing, major defence projects, renewable energy and advanced industries to support mining and information technology.
Industries that are driving the future growth of this economy.
And industries that are generating high-skilled, rewarding jobs for our kids today and for future generations.
Of course, little of this would have been possible had we stood idly by last year as economies around the world fell like nine pins.
As millions of workers in Europe and America lost their jobs - and still remain out of work.
Together with Mike's government, we decided to make a difference.
The Australian Government has made a $4.2 billion investment in South Australia through our nation-building infrastructure stimulus plan.
The result for the nation (and for South Australia) - among the major advanced economies.
The highest growth.
The second lowest unemployment rate.
The lowest debt.
The lowest deficits.
And the only one not to go into recession.
Indeed, in the last financial year South Australia grew by 1.4 per cent.
The second highest growth rate in the nation.
And a country mile ahead of the rest of the world.
And while the auto industry was collapsing around the world, we did it differently in Australia.
We did it differently in South Australia.
The Australian Government's $6.2 billion New Green Car Plan is securing future jobs and future opportunities for local car manufacturing.
Just over twelve months ago, I visited the heart of Australia's $7 billion automotive industry in Elizabeth to launch an all-new, fuel-efficient, low-emission small car - the result of a $149 million co-investment with Holden.
This is a great win for South Australian manufacturing.
For Australian manufacturing.
For family budgets.
And for the environment.
So you ask what partnership means.
It's not a slogan.
It's a reality.
And one that makes a real difference on the ground to the needs of working families.
We've increased our investment in health and hospitals here in South Australia by 43 per cent compared to the Howard Government.
We're investing in an education revolution, including $1.4 billion in the biggest school modernisation project ever seen in this state - spread across 789 schools.
And we're tackling the huge challenge of securing South Australia's future water supply.
For too long, this challenge was neglected both by the Commonwealth, the eastern states and previous governments of this state.
But now the challenge is being tackled head-on.
For the first time, the Australian Government has now committed over $1 billion to new water infrastructure projects in South Australia.
For the first time, we are also buying back water rights to restore our rivers to better health.
We have now secured the purchase of 797 gigalitres of water entitlements at a cost of $1.27 billion - despite strong opposition from the Liberals.
And for the first time, we have a Commonwealth Minister with national responsibility for the overall cap on the Murray Darling and a Basin-wide plan to give effect to that cap.
And that minister is a South Australian - Senator Penny Wong.
Nobody deserves more credit for the changes in national water policy than Mike Rann.
Mike has been unrelenting in demanding South Australia gets its fair share.
Just ask the Victorians.
Of course there's no quick fixes - we all know that.
South Australia's challenges with water shortages have been accumulating for well over a century.
But finally, there's real action underway.
So you ask what partnership means.
It means what we have done together in just two short years on the economy, on infrastructure, on schools, on hospitals and on water.
The absolute basics of what governments must be about.
Friends, Mike Rann is the bloke who's taken this state from being behind the pack.
And he's put South Australia out in front.
He's got plans for South Australia's future.
And deserves to be able to finish the job.
And as Prime Minister, I look forward to working with him to deliver for South Australia's future.
It's my pleasure to introduce to you my friend, the Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann.