STATE FINANCES

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:51): Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is again to the Treasurer. After 10 years of running the state's finances, why has the government got the budget into such a position that South Australia is the highest taxed state in the nation and, with the budget already including the revenue from the forward sale of the forests and the Lotteries Commission, Standard & Poor's have still downgraded the AAA credit rating to a negative outlook?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Treasurer.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Workers Rehabilitation) (14:51): Again the member for Davenport repeats his error—his sort of stubbornness—in insisting that South Australia has had a downgrade, when it hasn't. Our AAA credit rating—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —has been reaffirmed.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, deputy leader!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my right also will behave. Treasurer.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I am very proud of our AAA credit rating—reaffirmed AAA credit rating, as I've just said. To maintain the AAA credit rating in circumstances where the largest economy in the world, the United States of America, was downgraded to AA+, as a sub-national jurisdiction it says a lot about the demonstrated fiscal discipline of this government, and it is fiscal discipline which I am completely determined to see continued.