FORESTRYSA

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (15:27): My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer guarantee that there will be no job losses in the South-East arising from the selling of the harvesting rights of South Australian forests, as promised to the parliament by the previous treasurer on 24 November 2010? I quote the previous treasurer, as follows:

There will be no decision by the government that will adversely impact on jobs and the timber industry in the South-East of this state.

The SPEAKER: The honourable Treasurer.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: It doesn't mean no job loss.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for MacKillop! Treasurer.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education) (15:28): As I have already indicated to the house, I would not have proceeded with this sale if I had any doubt in my mind that there would be any threat to the ongoing economic viability—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I can't scream over the top of them.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I would not have proceeded with this announcement today—I would not have proceeded with this sale—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Unley!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —if I had any doubt in my mind that this sale would have any adverse impact—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —on the regional economy of the South-East. But I can refer to one thing that has had an impact on the economy in the South-East and that is the ongoing scare campaign being whipped up by certain people.

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Finniss!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: This suggestion, this absolutely false suggestion, said in the full knowledge that there is no way it could possibly happen, that the result of this sale would result, overnight, in 3,000 jobs being lost is absolute balderdash.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Absolute balderdash.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Those people who make those sort of claims, trying to prey on the fears of families in the South-East, are quite happy to destroy businesses and to destroy jobs in the South-East, all to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, member for Stuart.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order: 98, debate.

The SPEAKER: No, I think the minister can answer that question accordingly, as he chooses.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: All for nothing other than base political interests—no other reasons. The government has undertaken—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —far-reaching consultation with all the interested parties in the South-East. I personally, at the invitation of the member for Mount Gambier, have gone down there and spoken to the mill owners. I have spoken to the unions. I have done that myself.

The only job that, as a result of this decision, anyone should be worried about is the member for MacKillop's because we all know what mayor Gandolfi wants to do. We all know where mayor Gandolfi sees his future. He sees his future as the member for MacKillop. I only hope, for the member for MacKillop's sake, he can do a little bit better than the three votes he managed in the leadership ballot.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Supplementary, Madam Speaker?

The SPEAKER: Supplementary.