House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Public Sector Employees PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly Stuart PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills. Why have almost 6,000 actual jobs been lost in regional South Australia over the past three months—the highest proportion of regional job losses in all states? The Hon. T.R. KENYON House of Assembly Newland Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills Minister for Science and Information Economy Minister for Recreation and Sport PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:42): The biggest potential threat to regional jobs in this state is the government's— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Mr WILLIAMS House of Assembly Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The question is about actual jobs; it is not about potential jobs. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Member for MacKillop, sit down. He has only said about six words; we don't know what he is going to say. Mr WILLIAMS House of Assembly Mr WILLIAMS: He said 'potential' job losses. We are actually asking questions about actual— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Thank you. Mr WILLIAMS House of Assembly Mr WILLIAMS: —job losses. About 6,000 people have actually lost their jobs. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Sit down! Minister, you know the question. The Hon. T.R. KENYON House of Assembly The Hon. T.R. KENYON: The member for MacKillop has a point: they are not 'potential', that is what they will do if they get into government. The biggest threat to employment in rural areas in this state is the policy of the Liberal opposition to reduce, between 25,000 and 35,000, the number of public sector jobs. Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, Madam Speaker: standing order 98. The question was very clear: why have almost 6,000 actual jobs been lost? Please direct him to answer the question. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Thank you. Minister, back to the question. The Hon. T.R. KENYON House of Assembly The Hon. T.R. KENYON: Public sector jobs are actual jobs. They are real people, they are real teachers, real doctors, real nurses, real police officers, and they all exist in rural communities, and if you slash between 5,000 and 7,000 jobs out of rural areas you will decimate the public. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Thank you, minister. Point of order. Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN House of Assembly Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Standing order 98 again: it is purely debate. We want to know about the 6,000 jobs lost in the past three months. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Minister, did you want to add anything further to your answer? The Hon. T.R. KENYON House of Assembly The Hon. T.R. KENYON: No, ma'am. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order!