Check back here through the day for updates and announcements from the election campaign.

11.41am Meanwhile, Liberals to create a new Government department

Less than 10 minutes later and here’s a Lib announcement:

“State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall has today committed to establishing Innovation and Commercialisation SA (ICSA) to help transition South Australia into the next stage of manufacturing.

“This new body will transform and expand the existing BioSA and will provide additional funding of $4 million per year, taking the fund to a total value of $10 million annually.”

11.33am Labor cost of living announcement

Weatherill has announced a range of cost-of-living measures, including perhaps most interestingly Government-backed no-interest loans

From the press release:

“A re-elected Labor Government will:
• Provide ethical no interest and low interest loans and financial counseling in partnership with Good Shepherd Microfinance
• Expand the Community Foodbank program to Edwardstown, Elizabeth and Port Pirie
• Provide a lump sum concession payment from July 2015 to give eligible concession holders more control over their finances.
Labor is committing $3.682 million for financial counselling and ethical loans and $1 million over four years to expand Foodbank.

Good Shepherd Microfinance will establish a ‘Good Money Store’ in Adelaide to help prevent people falling into the cycle of debt.”

11.22am Bob’s two-bobs-worth

This press release is worth reproducing in full:

Bob Such has car rego stickers licked

Car registration stickers never went out of favour with Bob Such, member for Fisher.

The independent MP has his own reminder stickers that he can provide from his Aberfoyle Park office.

Stickers were scrapped in the middle of 2011.

While some political parties may “plan’’ to bring the stickers back – anyone who needs a reminder sticker can contact Bob Such’s office.

10.13am Gago responds on Clipsal 500 concerns

Yesterday we brought you Greens MLC Tammy Franks’ concerns about women’s safety at the Clipsal 500 motor race.

This morning Minister for the Status of Women Gail Gago responds:

“Women should be encouraged to never be afraid to speak out against violence and to contact police if they experience harassment. It’s one of the only ways that we can locate and stamp out violence in our community, and I urge women to come forward.

“The safety of women and their children has long been a priority for Labor.  That’s why South Australia endorsed the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children, implemented by the former Labor Federal Government.  Our Women’s Safety Strategy has been updated to reflect the National Plan.   The National Plan directs efforts to ensure our responses to victims reflect best practice and that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions, while also working to prevent violence against women in the longer term.

“South Australia provides finding of approximately $112,000 a year to the National Centre of Excellence, which has a national research agenda to help guide future investment, policy and services in the prevention of violence against women across Australia.

“Part of this funding has gone towards 1800 Respect – a phone and online service that provides access to counselling to people who have been or who are affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, delivered by qualified, experienced professionals 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

“This complements the numerous other initiatives the Government has put in place new Intervention Orders legislation, which makes it easier to obtain an intervention order by giving police new powers to issue them. This legislation has also assisted in enabling women and children to stay in their homes by requiring the removal of the perpetrator.

“Since our new reforms have been in place we have seen that the increase in IO orders has not been matched by an increase in breaches. ‘This indicates we have the balance correct – we come down hard where women’s safety is at stake, while ensuring administrative actions are dealt with expediently.

“Perhaps Ms Franks should turn her attention to the recent announcement by Vickie Chapman that this power for police to issue orders would be removed under a Liberal Government.”

9am D4D want 16-year-olds voting

Dignity for Disability have released their youth policy this morning, which calls for non-compulsory voting for 16 and 17-year-olds, so they get some practice before the big day after they turn 18. Ballot-box-training-wheels, if you will.

From the release:

Dignity for Disability’s youth policy has three main areas for action:

– Create a transition program for people with disabilities moving from school to work. “Young people with disabilities are under-employed in South Australia,” said Ms Vincent. “We need to better manage the transition out of school and into the workplace so these young people can find the job they’re looking for and keep it. The SA Government should assign caseworkers from the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology to help young people with disabilities find and attain employment. Funding should also be put towards a mentorship program so that these new employees have support as they negotiate the complexities of work and workplace relations.”

– Instate non-compulsory voting for 16 and 17-year-olds. “Giving people the opportunity to vote before they turn 18 encourages engagement with the political process and the community,” said Ms Vincent. “We want to develop our politically-minded young people and also make sure their issues are given due weight when raised with politicians.”

– Better funded youth health programs. “Youth health programs like The Second Story and the Shopfront at Salisbury are crucial in providing general health services, counselling, sexual health information and advocacy for young people,” said Ms Vincent. “Unfortunately there are too few of these facilities, and many of them are over-stretched and under-resourced. We need to better fund these programs and also make sure there are some services specifically equipped to support youth with disabilities, GLBITQ young people and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.”

8.25am Tonight’s debate

Today’s big media event will be the SkyNews televised leaders’ debate. The last debate on the ABC was adjudged by this paper to be a fairly even affair, with Marshall perhaps taking it on points. We shall see what the Premier can muster in round 2.

In other activities today, Opposition Leader Steven Marshall will speak to a Property Council lunch today. Not sure what Marshall’s strategy will be here – he might use it to set the media cycle ahead of the debate, he might drop a big announcement, or he might make a stump speech.

8.15am Car rego stickers back?

The Liberals are promising to restore car rego stickers to their place on drivers windscreens, after Labor removed them – in the name of red-tape reduction and motorist-cost-saving – in 2011.

The Libs claim they’re increasing the number of drivers who forget to renew their rego, and they have stats to back it up; Labor says any increase in people getting caught forgetting to renew their rego is due to increased enforcement, not peeling off the stickers.

8.05am Libs big printing bill

The Australian report this morning the State Liberal Party owe “about $150,000 for printing how-to-vote cards and other leaflets during the Federal (election) campaign).

The Oz quote local printing firm Lane as saying “we are reasonably confident that we can work on a settlement”.

The Liberal party dispute the payment figure and say the dispute is being settled, reports the paper.