FIRST HOME BUYERS

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): My question is to the Premier. Why do young South Australians pay more state government taxes on their first home than home buyers in any other state or territory? A first home buyer buying a house at the median price of $350,000 with a $250,000 loan in this state pays just short of $16,000 compared to zero in Queensland, zero in New South Wales, zero in Western Australian and thousands less in Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (14:24): 'Shame,' they say. I will get this checked—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I find that offensive, that I wouldn't care at all.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has asked his question.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: He's an unhappy and angry man.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: He's very angry and touchy today, but to say I don't care, do you honestly believe I don't care—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —about housing affordability for young people?

Ms CHAPMAN: I rise on a point of order: clearly the Treasurer is entering into—

The SPEAKER: Order! I know what the member is saying. The Treasurer has made his point; if he can get on with his answer, please.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I tell you what!

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Bring on Chris Kenny.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: What was that line you once said: he'd complain if—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: He'd complain if he was in a spa bath with two super models. He'd whinge on his wedding night.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That's right. That was a great line about the Leader of the Opposition. It came from the—

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Mr Speaker, you call the opposition into line. You claim we interject. He invites interjections, he asks questions—

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer will get on with the question, please.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I said I will get this checked, but my recollection is that we certainly improved our first home owners grant scheme a few years ago. I will get it checked, but I think it was the first time a government had improved the first home owners grant scheme for many a year, which included, from memory, the entire time the Liberals were in office. We will go back and have a look at that, but I think we will find (and if I am wrong I will admit it) that we improved the scheme, but during the opposition's years in government they did very little, if anything, about it. So it is very easy to have mock anger and mock sympathy for people, or to have a go at me for not having sympathy, when in government they did very little, if anything, themselves.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Flat out fixing my problems, my mistakes. I tell you what, I wish you could have done a few of them. Mr Speaker, I am not running away from the suggestion that we may not have the most generous first home owners scheme in Australia. I accept that. But, do you know what? It is not impeding or stopping people buying and building homes. In fact, if I go back to my earlier Housing Industry of Australia data, new home sales in South Australia bounced back in April. It rose by 14.7 per cent. Over the three months to April, South Australia's sales had decreased 5 per cent but were still 41 per cent higher than in the three months to April 2007. Housing affordability in South Australia still remains incredibly—

Mr Griffiths interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I will get that data for the member.

Mr Griffiths: I know what it is.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Do you? Wow!

Mr Griffiths interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: You are clever, aren't you?

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, we might be. Unlike you, Mitch, I am pleased to say there are a lot of people much smarter than me around—a lot of people. All I try to do in my humble way is do the job to the best of my ability. If you compare taxes across a whole series of taxation efforts, you will find in some areas we tax higher than other states of Australia, and in some areas we tax lower.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: WorkCover, she just said. The deputy leader just said WorkCover. Where have you been for the last three months? If you had passed the bill, employers would be paying less for WorkCover sooner.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sooner!

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, you are!

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer will take his seat.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the deputy leader! The Speaker is on his feet. I expect silence in the chamber. Members will come to order and stop interjecting, and the Treasurer will not respond to interjections.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Thank you, sir. I must say, there is a real sour look across the front benches. Has something happened in the party room today?

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer will get to the question.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am sorry, sir, they just look a bit sour, a bit grumpy and a bit sensitive—a bit touchy. The deputy leader says employers pay too much for WorkCover. Well, blow me down! Why haven't you passed the bill months ago, and then employers would get relief months earlier?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams: We have been calling on you to bring it in for years.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, and then you are filibustering.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Then you won't vote for it. You voted against it on every clause.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, you did.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The member for MacKillop voted for union right of entry. You voted against every clause. You don't—

The SPEAKER: Order! The question was about taxes on first home buyers. It was not about WorkCover. I understand the Treasurer is responding to interjections. I ask members not to interject, and I ask the Treasurer to turn to the substance of the question.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I apologise profusely, Mr Speaker. I find it strange that the member for MacKillop, who opposed WorkCover at every moment, at every point and at every opportunity, would be denying workers—

Ms CHAPMAN: I have a point of order. Sir, you have just ruled on this topic and he is deliberately disobeying you.

The SPEAKER: Order! I thank the deputy leader for her assistance, but I do not require it. Has the Treasurer completed his answer?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I will leave it at that, sir.