412 - SA Matters This Election

When Robert Godden joined us in 2018 for Episode 235, we read tea leaves to predict Steven Marshall’s election victory. Today, Robert returns with his tea expertise as we sit down with two Senate hopefuls – Dianah Walter and Dr. Rod Pearce AM – who are campaigning together under the “SA Matters” banner. While sipping tea, we explore how these candidates plan to navigate Canberra’s corridors while maintaining their commitment to South Australian priorities.

In a refreshing departure from party politics, Dianah and Rod share their journey from collaboration on women’s health initiatives to forming an unendorsed Senate ticket focused squarely on local issues. With Dianah’s background in regional advocacy and Rod’s decades of experience as a respected GP shaping national health policy, they present a compelling case for representation that transcends party loyalty.

There is no SA Drink Of The Week, this week.

And in the Musical Pilgrimage, we close the show with Swap Meet’s dreamy indie folk-rock track “Ceiling Fan” – an apt choice given the band’s own journey of rebranding from Sour Sob and striking out with a new identity, just as Dianah is doing with her political realignment.

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Running Sheet: SA Matters This Election

00:00:00 Intro

Introduction

00:00:00 SA Drink Of The Week

No South Australian Drink Of The Week, this week.

00:02:30 SA Matters: Behind the Independent Campaign

In a political landscape where party loyalty often overshadows regional advocacy, Dianah Walter and Dr. Rod Pearce have emerged as “SA Matters” – an unendorsed Senate ticket with a decidedly local focus. Dianah, fresh from her departure from the Legalised Cannabis Party, and Rod, a respected GP whose voice has shaped national health policy, have joined forces at a time when social media giants face increasing scrutiny for their influence on political discourse.

“South Australia does matter” isn’t just their campaign slogan – it’s the philosophy that brought them together through a shared history of advocacy that includes women’s health initiatives. Their promise is straightforward: representation that puts our state first, regardless of partisan pressure.

“Our loyalty is to the work we’ve done together in the past and to basically being an advocate for South Australia,” Rod explains, citing specific examples of how party senators might face conflicts between state interests and party priorities. This unwavering focus on South Australian priorities forms the cornerstone of their campaign.

Dianah’s recent encounter with caregivers of a disabled woman reveals their grassroots approach: “What can we do to help you?” she asked after a lengthy discussion. Their response was telling: “In all of the last two years they’ve been coming to that place, not once had anyone stopped to talk to them.” This approach reflects the StoryBrand framework where the voter is the hero and candidates are guides – something Dianah intuitively grasped at their campaign launch: “You are not here because of me… I believe you’re actually here because you