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December 12th, 2011 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Updated
Kevin Foley had many sporting involvements and in later political days was motor sport minister
Colourful and often controversial, South Australia’s former deputy premier and long-time treasurer Kevin Foley is officially leaving politics.
Mr Foley today has handed his resignation to parliamentary speaker Lyn Breuer.
By-elections for the safe Labor seats held by Mr Foley and former premier Mike Rann are expected in the new year.
Mr Foley will remain in Adelaide and plans to set up a business, but is not giving details.
“I’ve had a terrific career, it’s had its ups, it’s had its downs, it’s had its crazy moments and it’s had its pleasures and I’m very satisfied with what I’ve done in politics,” he told reporters.
His political life and times
Kevin Foley grew up in Adelaide and went to Royal Park High School. His early political days were as a chief of staff to a former South Australian premier Lynn Arnold.
He had a range of sporting connections in his local area, including with the Port Adelaide Magpies Football Club.
Elected to the SA Parliament in 1993, he served the electorate of Hart until it became Port Adelaide as part of an electoral redistribution.
Mr Foley became industry, investment and trade minister under Mike Rann’s government and Mr Rann’s deputy and long-serving treasurer.
In his first budget in 2002, he said Labor had inherited a shocking financial position from the Liberals and had taken some very tough decisions.
He spoke of the Government delivering “schools, not soccer stadiums, roads not rose gardens, and productive infrastructure, not white elephants”.
Mr Foley worked closely with Mr Rann on building South Australia’s defence industry credentials.
Of the facilities built in the Port Adelaide area, he said in a 2006 news release:
“Techport Australia in Port Adelaide will be the base for the Air Warfare Destroyers and it is shaping up to be the largest ship building facility of its type in the southern hemisphere”.
He said it was reshaping the state’s economy.
“The Air Warfare Destroyer program is already having an enormous impact on the South Australian economy,” his release said.
“More than $7 million worth of contracts have been awarded, mostly to local companies, as a result of the project.”
Mr Foley approached the wife of high-profile former footballer and media commentator Graham Cornes to run for politics, reportedly after Graham Cornes himself turned down the approach.
Nicole Cornes became Labor’s candidate for the Adelaide seat of Boothby at the 2007 federal election, when Kevin Rudd took power from John Howard.
Cornes herself failed in her run for parliament but attracted wide coverage as the ALP candidate, not all of it positive.
Public battle
In 2009, it was personal matters which took centre stage as Mr Foley revealed a battle with depression.
“This is not a job stopper. This is not a career ender,” he said.
“I really want to actually use my position in public life to send a message to those South Australians that it is quite possible and indeed better for you to continue in your work and manage this particular issue.”
His marriage over, Mr Foley attracted some unwanted attention for his late-night and early-morning activities around the city.
That included being punched in a city street outside a late-night venue, a case which ended up with his attacker pleading guilty in the courts late in 2011.
Mr Foley told reporters outside the hearing: “I am vindicated. There has been a guilty plea, the prosecution case has been agreed with”.
Earlier in the same month, Mr Foley had flagged plans for his imminent retirement from politics.
“I turn 51 in a few weeks. It’s a good time for me to step out to look for a new future outside of the Parliament,” he said.
“I’m excited by the opportunities that that presents. A little bit scared’s not the right word, but being immersed in politics for so long it’s going to take some adjustment.”
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