House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Electoral Funding Reform ELECTORAL FUNDING REFORM Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Norwood Leader of the Opposition ELECTORAL FUNDING REFORM Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:26): Supplementary question: given the Premier's answer that his government's investment in infrastructure is about creating jobs, why is zero jobs growth forecast for this year in the Mid-Year-Budget Review? The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly Cheltenham Premier Minister for State Development Minister for the Public Sector Minister for the Arts ELECTORAL FUNDING REFORM The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:26): The objectives of this government are to grow employment. Now, of course within our budget settings— Mr Marshall House of Assembly Mr Marshall: Zero jobs growth! The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I call the leader to order. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Within our budget settings, of course, there are conservative estimates about what we expect to happen in the future. Mr Marshall interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I warn the leader for the first time. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Our intention and our public policy settings are all about growing the South Australian economy, about growing jobs. Just consider the counterfactual. What he would have us do is to withdraw— Mr Pisoni interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I warn the member for Unley for the first time. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —from the investments that we are making in the South Australian economy and the catastrophic effects that would have on employment growth. What we saw in the last quarter, in the last period of reporting in relation to employment, was employment growth in South Australia. We also saw very strong growth in labour force participation rates—so many more people coming into the labour market looking for work—a sign of confidence in the South Australian economy that there would be work. Of course that had an effect on our unemployment rate, but we continue to grow employment in South Australia in the most difficult international environment where business confidence— Mr Gardner interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I call the member for Morialta to order. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —has been significantly shaken. It is not sufficient for the Leader of the Opposition in this period, where people are evaluating the choices that are in front of them in the lead-up to the next election, to simply offer these one-sided factual propositions. Is he suggesting that somehow we should withdraw from this investment— Mr Gardner interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I warn the member for Morialta for the first time. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —which is growing prosperity and sustaining jobs now? If that is his proposition, let him come out and say it openly and honestly. That is something— The Hon. I.F. EVANS House of Assembly The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Point of order, Mr Speaker. Your red star time clock seems to have not picked up that the Premier has gone more than four minutes. I just draw that to your attention. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Thank you. It is a supplementary and the clock was not set. I apologise to the member for Davenport. We will set the clock now. The Hon. J.W. Weatherill interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Premier has finished. The member for Port Adelaide.