Commenting on the story: State funeral offer for ‘giant of SA politics’

Steele was a rare politician: honest and principled. Valè Steele Hall. – Robert Warn

Commenting on the story: Tributes for Liberal Party trailblazer Jennifer Cashmore

I suggest a State funeral for Jennifer Cashmore. If appropriate for Steele Hall, it’s equally appropriate for Jennifer Cashmore, both were trailblazers. – Elizabeth Smith

The late Steele Hall and Jennifer Cashmore personified the values, policies and very character of centrist liberalism.

Steele Hall and Jennifer Cashmore’s liberalism was built on the Enlightenment values of tolerance, balance, openness to change, independence and democracy.

It was no accident that, in the case of Steele Hall, his leadership was decisive in getting rid of the Playford era gerrymander even though he was well aware of the risks to future Liberal electoral success.

In the case of Jennifer Cashmore, her parliamentary work, determination and activism regarding gender equality, the environment and the State Bank scandal illustrate the scope of her interests and impact.

Both Steele Hall and Jennifer Cashmore understood more than most the vision, values and independent thinking of the 19th century London Radicals, who developed the idea of South Australia as a ‘paradise of dissent’,  democracy and enlightened civilisation.

Steele Hall’s values and capacity for independent thinking and democratic action were further exemplified when he joined Labor in opposing the deferral of supply at the time of the 1975 Federal constitutional crisis and in 1988 when he crossed the floor of Federal parliament in opposition to the Howard government’s proposal to use race as a criterion for selecting immigrants.

The parliaments of Australia and, indeed, the world need members such as Steele Hall and Jennifer Cashmore, who personify and live by enlightenment values. Some might say that we will never see their like again. I would say we need to see their like more than ever. – Stewart Sweeney

Commenting on Insider: Sign of the apocalypse | Gold standard snackery | SA wine region nuclear risk 

Interesting all the rumbling about having a nuclear power station near a wine region.

In France there are reactors all over the country (operating safely since the mid 1950s – often fuelled by Australian uranium). No one ever questions the quality of the food and wine of France!

Interesting as you enter the Champagne region from the south as you pass Aube, the first thing you see on the left side of the road is a nuclear power station. – Peter Jackson