EMPLOYMENT FIGURES

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:06): My question is again to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills. Why should South Australians believe this Labor government's promise that they will create 100,000 jobs by 2016 when the number of people unemployed in South Australia jumped by 10,700 in the month of June to record the highest number of unemployed people in 11 years?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:07): One should take this month's numbers with a dose of caution.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: This is only the second time—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, can you sit down until we have some quiet from this side. They have asked you a question; they should give you the dignity of being able to answer it in silence.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister.

Mr Pisoni: No dignity in being unemployed.

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: All people have dignity; it doesn't matter whether they've got a job or not, they have dignity. One should take a strong dose of caution with this figure. This 1.2 per cent jump in a statistic is only the second time such a number has been recorded since 1978. It is an unusually large jump. Month-to-month—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: —variations in unemployment numbers—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: There is a lot of volatility in monthly variations. It is particularly true for South Australia; it has a small sample size. We have seen that time and time again, and I have said that before in the house. Numbers bounce around from month to month, and we have seen an unusually large jump this month, so it needs to be taken with a great deal of caution. I would say also that it is still better, even if you take it at face value, than the best they ever achieved at 6.9 per cent. It is still better than the best unemployment rate that that government ever achieved—ever. Up until last month we had 92 months in a row below 6 per cent.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Torrens.