SA Labor slammed 'basketball stadium' to fix ramping but the crisis is far from over

"I'm choosing to scrap the basketball stadium and invest in our health system."

That was how then SA Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas announced a key part of his election campaign on social media back in June 2021.

The campaign — focused on "fixing the ramping crisis" — helped Labor storm back to power after just one term in opposition.

A large plank of the campaign was not going ahead with the Marshall government's plan to spend more than $600 million building a multi-purpose city arena.

It would have sat on the banks of the Torrens, with a capacity of 15,000, and the capacity to host conventions, concerts and basketball and netball games.

At least some of the cost would have been offset by a planned sale of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Hindmarsh to developers.

When it was first announced, Mr Malinauskas appeared open to the idea.

But just a few months later, he came out strongly against it, saying with a health system in crisis, it wasn't the right time to build the Riverbank Arena — which Labor from then on referred to exclusively as a "basketball stadium".

The price tag was high, and in a campaign focused overwhelmingly on health, it was an easy target.

More than one electoral cycle later, the Malinauskas government holds on to power with an even bigger margin.

And while ramping remains at near record levels, the government isn't shy about investing in new sporting facilities and major events.

You've got a couple of controversial parklands developments — $45 million to redevelop and expand the North Adelaide Golf Course, and $96 million to prepare the eastern parklands for the MotoGP.

Then there's $92 million to build a new netball stadium, $100 million for a gymnastics stadium and a $20 million dollar contribution to the Barossa Park football grounds to upgrade them for Gather Round.

There's also a number of events where the taxpayer contribution hasn't been disclosed for "commercial in confidence" reasons.

That list includes the AFL's Gather Round, the now failed LIV Golf competition, golf's Australian Open tournament, the Super Netball grand final, and the Beach Volleyball World Championships.

Despite those expenses, the government has made major investments in the health system.

It's poured more than a billion dollars trying to fix ramping, including hiring more health workers and increasing hospital beds.

But that has not made the picture look much better.

Last month 4,759 hours were lost to ramping — not the highest ever but still significantly higher than the peak of 2,867 during the Marshall government's time in office.

A major factor in those numbers — the hundreds of people in hospital beds, waiting for a place in the aged care system.

This week Labor held crisis talks with unions, industry and advocacy bodies, even giving the "empty chair" treatment to federal aged care minister Sam Rae, who did not attend.

Never mind that the aged care system and the NDIS were both known to be major factors of bed block before the 2022 election, they just weren't factors Labor chose to highlight at the time.

One could argue that, if you followed the logic of the basketball stadium campaign, all the money spent on fun events, should instead be funnelled into a health system in crisis.

But of course, governments should spend money on cultural events and facilities.

While each should be assessed on its merits, the argument that it's a waste of money ignores the importance of a cultural life to a community.

And there's the argument that these investments return to the state and then some, toput attracting visitors who spend money while they're here.

But while the government argues its investment in facilities and events will have a net benefit to the South Australian economy, the Marshall government could have made the same argument about its arena plans back in 2021.

Possibly that was a failure of the Marshall government, which didn't do a great job rebuffing the "basketball stadium" allegations.

During the 2022 election campaign, after two years tackling the COVID pandemic, it appeared the Liberal government had run out of momentum.

In reviewing the loss, even then new Opposition Leader David Speirs said "I don't think we actually ran a campaign, in some definitions of the word."

Apart from the cost, one of the most controversial elements of Marshall's stadium proposal — it was going to be built on the parklands.

The plan was to build it on Helen Mayo Park, next to Morphett Street, with a tunnel connecting it to the Convention Centre.

It sparked protests, including at least one where then Labor candidate Lucy Hood gave a speech.

"It begs the question, why is the Liberal Marshall government undertaking the largest land grab that we have ever seen? There is a reason are voted Australia's most livable city and it's because of vistas like this," she said while gesturing across the park to the river.

A far cry from today's parkland rallies, where Lucy Hood — or anyone from the current Labor government — is unlikely to receive a warm welcome to put it lightly.