Question Time

MINING SECTOR

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:13): My question is to the Premier.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Why has employment in South Australia's mining sector fallen by 37 per cent in the last six months, to reach its lowest level since 2004? The ABS figures released today confirm the rapid fall in mining jobs. However, on 24 April 2009 the Premier said:

This continued job creation in mine construction and production in South Australia underlines the pro-employment credentials of this Government...

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:14): I have to say—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I have been watching the numbers on the Adelaidenow site. If I can forgive Martin, why can't you? Here they are: 14 per cent; Isobel Redmond 19 per cent; Vickie Chapman 29 per cent—I would like to see her phone bill.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Iain Evans—

Ms CHAPMAN: Sir, I rise on a point of order—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has to answer the substance of the question—

Ms CHAPMAN: The Premier might not have anything sensible to say—

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader will take her seat.

Ms CHAPMAN: —but we want an answer that is relevant.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Can I just say this: we have gone from four operating mines to 11 operating mines. The latest was the opening of the Prominent Hill mine. Of course, what you see during the build-up to the opening of the Prominent Hill mine is a huge amount of building work and production that then converts to operating work. This would not be considered to be a moment of genius revelation. The fact of the matter is that under a Liberal government—when you were in that cabinet for that one, brief, shining moment, that moment of genius that we keep hearing about—we had about $35 million worth of mining exploration each year, and I might be being generous.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: It was about $30 million. It went up to $360 million—a tenfold increase in mining exploration under this government—and we have gone from four operating mines up to 11 operating mines, and I will be making some announcements soon about some more. In fact, I would envisage by the end of next year that there will be about 16 operating mines and probably another 20 in a queue.

So I guess you might want to talk down the mining industry, just as you wanted to talk down the defence industry, because we know what your strategy is. It is to attack everything that happens in this state. Where were you last week? Last week the unemployment figures came out from the ABS in Canberra. We were pleased that there are 104,500 more people in work last week than when you were in cabinet, but there was a deafening silence from the Liberals, because you do not want to be on the side of our state. I guess this is the key point: you are so busy fighting for your own jobs that you do not care about the jobs of South Australians, and that is the difference. You can fight and squabble amongst yourselves, but we are going to keep this state going.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!