Grievance Debate

GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (15:21): I thought it was appropriate on this last day of sitting—not knowing, of course, before that it was going to be the last day of sitting, because there was an optional week we could have sat to get us up to nearly 30 days of sitting instead of the few that we have had—to have a look at where we have been since the election, since this government was returned to office in March.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: Returned to office with an absolute majority!

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs REDMOND: In anyone's language, you would have to say that this is a government that has lost its way. If ever the phrase 'Nero fiddled while Rome burned' should apply, it is to this government. This government has completely lost its way; it has taken its eye off what it is meant to be concentrating on, which is 'the good governance for the true welfare of the people of this state', according to the prayer that we say in this chamber every single day that we are sitting. But they have forgotten about that because they are so busy with their internal ructions that they are focused on themselves and not on the good governance of this state.

Why do I say that? I say that because we now have a debt in this state blown out to $8.6 billion. It will cost the taxpayers of this state about $2 million a day in interest. Some interesting statistics have come out: not only do we have the lowest wages and the highest taxes and highest youth unemployment; we have exports still in decline—they still have not got back to where they were when we left office, in spite of the government's grand strategic plan—but also, after the mining boom that the Premier has talked about for 8½ years, mining jobs are at a six-year low, after this government has been in office all this time. What they are on about is themselves and their own self-interest.

How do we know they have lost their way? Because every single week since we have been back here we have had protestors on the front steps of Parliament House, and they are not your average rent-a-crowd. They are not people who would normally be out protesting. Indeed, what we have had is, amongst others, the PSA, Janet Giles from Unions SA, Wayne Hancock, Brad Coates—we have had all sorts of unionists. What about Jan McMahon, who stood on the front steps of this chamber and said, 'You can't trust this government'? Even the unions know that you cannot trust this government.

Let us look at the decisions they have made that have caused people to come here to protest, so blind are these people to what really matters in this state. They decided to close the Parks Community Centre. They were going to sell off the Parks Community Centre, which has 20,000 users every month, without realising that closing the swimming centre alone would mean that, with the North Adelaide Aquatic Centre closing for renovations next year, there would be nowhere for anyone in the north to swim, not one swimming pool between Elizabeth and Marion—and the Marion pool, of course, was an initiative of the then minister, Iain Evans.

What about the community hospitals, the paltry $370,000 cut from Keith, $140,000 from Ardrossan, $300,000 from Moonta. I went down to Keith on 22 October. Of course, you guys have a very different idea. Your Premier said, just after the election—

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: On a point of order, the Leader of the Opposition referred to us as ‘you guys’. I would ask her to refer to us by a name that is in order.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order, but it is a moment of excitement.

Mrs REDMOND: I will simply say that the Premier indicated after the election that you were going to reconnect with the community. Remember that? Reconnect. The Minister for Forests thought that that meant putting a staffer into a ministerial car to go out to his electorate in case he did not know the way. He went out to his electorate to go doorknocking for him for a couple of hours. If that is your idea of reconnecting with the electorate, then shame on you!

Let’s talk about Puglia and about the fact that the government has pulled $200,000 from the funding for the umbrella organisation that funds the 40 chambers of commerce for all the different organisations around this state, that bring some $80 million into this state by way of exports of our products to other places—

An honourable member: Time is up.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Sit down, please, member for Reynell. There has been so much interjection during the end of that grievance that I am inclined—

An honourable member: Another five minutes.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Oh no, not another five minutes. That’s a little too generous, but I am inclined to give you another minute.

Mrs REDMOND: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. So how does a government get to the point where they have taken $200,000 away from the Council for International Trade and Commerce for South Australia—$200,000 for organisations that bring into this state some $80 million of export value for this state’s benefit. They pull the funding from that and yet they manage to send to the Puglia Trade Fair, Fiera del Levante, $185,000 per annum. The special envoy, Nicola Sasanelli, whose wonderful book cost the taxpayers of this state $17,500, and if you see the book—which you cannot borrow from any public library and you cannot find to purchase anywhere—you will know that it is a piece of rubbish.

Mr Williams: A waste of money.

Mrs REDMOND: An absolute waste of money. And government officials, so no actual exporters going to our trade fair, no actual businesses, but the government is prepared to support all of that rather than support our organisation in this state.