Why Labor gets to run the trains — or, just how cocked-up are the state Liberal parties?

For the Marshall government in South Australia the threatened collapse of the Whyalla steelworks couldn’t have come at a worse time. Actually, all times for the collapse of remaining industry in that rust bucket of a state are pretty bad, and not merely because they summon up the ghost of Craig Emerson singing “no Whyalla wipeout”.  

Ah, you hadn’t thought of that for a while had you? Sorry, but if it’s going to be in my head, it has to be in yours.

But with an election next year, the first-term Marshall government are behind in the polls, and looking at being chucked.