BUILDING APPROVALS

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (15:54): Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Treasurer. Why, after 10 years of Labor, does South Australia have the worst building approvals figures in the nation? The ABS building approvals data reveals that South Australia has the worst figures in August and a decline of 46 per cent in the last 12 months, also the worst in the nation.

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer.

Mr Williams: You don't like the truth, do you?

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for MacKillop, you are warned.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for MacKillop, you are warned for the second time.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Workers Rehabilitation) (15:55): I find it a little galling, Madam Speaker, to hear such a question from the opposition, because every time this government has opened up new areas of land to new housing in South Australia—which is one of the key drivers of building approvals in this state—all we get is whingeing from the opposition—knocking and opposition every time this government does anything to drive economic growth.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Norwood!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I find the double standards of the opposition quite extraordinary. They come in here bleating about the low numbers of building approvals, and at the same time every time this government says, 'We need to open up new land to housing to make housing affordable for young South Australians,' we get the opposition bleating opposition. Of course, there are difficult economic circumstances at the moment. We are going through—

Mr Pisoni: We're the worst, in South Australia.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: How's your petition going, David? You have got a petition to table, I understand. Are you going to table it? I am looking forward to seeing that petition tabled, mate. Madam Speaker, we are going through very difficult economic times. It is no surprise that, on a number of economic indicators, they are not looking as healthy as we have seen over the last decade this government has been in office, but what have we seen lately?

We have seen, of course, the final sign-off on the BHP indenture and, hopefully, the speedy passage of that. That will bring billions of dollars pumping through the South Australian economy and tens of thousands of jobs—that will see an enormous growth in the demand for housing; that will see an enormous growth in the population of South Australia. What is different between the government and the opposition is that we have a definite plan to grow this state, to see—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I know that the opposition will always prefer cheap and easy political stunts and—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —bleating, because they are not interested in the prosperity of South Australia.

The SPEAKER: Point of order. The member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: The question is: why do we currently have the lowest rate of—

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: —housing approvals in South Australia?

The SPEAKER: Order! Sit down.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Thank you, member for MacKillop. I direct the Treasurer back to his answer and to the substance of the question.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: In the next few years we are going to see extraordinary economic growth in this state. We are going to see a state absolutely transformed. In the words of the minister for mining, I think the minister assisting the Premier on the Olympic Dam expansion, we are going to see a state with an economy—

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Kavel, you are warned.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —that is turbo charged—a turbo-charged economy.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Just keep looking for that petition, David. Mate, just keep looking for that petition. I know that you are tearing the office apart trying to find the petition. I know you can't find the petition. Just keep looking for it, mate. Madam Speaker, we will see a state with phenomenal economic growth. I am very much looking forward to the next couple of years. I know that the opposition will continue trying to talk down the economy, but we will see some fantastic economic growth and fantastic opportunities for young South Australians.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Kavel! Last week I spent time in question time in federal parliament, and approximately 150 members make less noise than you do—most of the time.