Adelaide knew that on 18 March 2006, Mike Rann would win the election.
Except, thought Adelaide, if the summer threw one final hot, hot day on 17 March.
Despite the best official advice that air conditioners should not be used on hot days, everyone would put their air-conditioners on. Electricity usage would peak, half the state would lose its power for hours, freezers would defrost and the final few schnapper from the Christmas trip would be ruined.
In that event, the electorate would punish the ALP at the polls. The state would be plunged back into the un-lawful and dis-orderly days.
Even though it was the Libs who privatised the electricity in the first place and it would never have crossed the ALP’s mind to do such a thing.
The electorate was a fickle beast, and Adelaide was afraid.