Question Time

EMPLOYMENT FIGURES

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier explain why there are 30,000 fewer full-time jobs in South Australia now than there were in June last year when Mike Rann was premier?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:08): There is no doubt that there are challenges associated with the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —global financial crisis, which is playing its way through—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! You have asked the question, you will hear the Premier in silence.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Madam Speaker, perhaps they could take a leaf out of Malcolm Turnbull's book and introduce the civility that he has called for in the national parliament, introduce that here into the South Australian parliament.

Ms Chapman: What about answering the questions?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, maybe you could allow me to answer it rather than asking a question and then interjecting within the first two seconds. The truth is that this state and this nation is experiencing the effects of a global financial crisis which is working its way—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —through our economy, and that is finding its expression in the effect on commonwealth and state finances and its capacity to participate in the economy itself. And, of course, in this particular state, because of the configuration of our economy, we are particularly affected by the mining and resources boom which has driven up the Australian dollar to historically very high levels. The truth is that that is having a dramatic effect on those industries that compete with imports. It is also having a dramatic effect on those industries which export—and this is at the heart of the challenges that face the South Australian economy. That is why we have set for ourselves the task, as one of our key priorities, to transform this economy of ours from an—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —old manufacturing state to an advanced manufacturing state. The truth is that the old structure which was put in place—the old industrial structure which served us well for many decades—no longer suits us in the modern era. The Playford legacy of cheap power, cheap land, cheap labour and behind high tariff walls are no longer available for us as a means of running our economy. That is why we have, over the 10 last years—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Deputy leader, quiet.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —taken these steps to transform our economy. The fact that we were able to be at the ceremony today concerning the air warfare destroyer contract and celebrating the milestone that we were there was as a consequence of this state Labor government investing in the Techport facility—as a direct result of that investment in the magnificent common-user facility. At Techport and the other initiatives we have taken in relation to the defence sector, we have been able to attract something in the order of 25 per cent of the nation's defence procurement. So, the process of recalibrating our economy by using the defence sector, just as Sir Thomas Playford used the defence sector—

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Madam Speaker; that of relevance. The question was about why we have lost 30,000 full-time jobs in this state.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. You have made your point of order, but I do not uphold it. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Just as the transformation of the economy was led by the defence industry—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Bragg, order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —50 years ago, the reality is that the defence sector is assisting us to transform our economy 50 years later. This is at the heart of the question the member advances. She asked a question about why is the South Australian economy under pressure, and it is simply because of the legacy—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —of an economy which was fundamentally based on an old manufacturing sector—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey, order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —that we are seeking to transform into an advanced manufacturing sector. But I do note that those opposite do not seem to be able to advance one positive idea that could assist us in this process.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!