EMPLOYMENT FIGURES

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:09): Given that the Premier couldn't confirm the ABS statistics today, can he inform the house how many full-time jobs were lost last month here in South Australia?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:09): The number of jobs in the South Australian economy are supported by the investments that we have taken to build infrastructure in this state. Just imagine where we would be at the moment in the South Australian economy if we had not chosen to make the investments that we have made in the infrastructure that is going to build the future of this state.

We were warned that this was a false economy, that we were imposing burdens on future generations. This is the very investment that is sustaining employment in this economy now, activity in this economy now, jobs in this economy now. They are the real concerns of South Australians—not the Leader of the Opposition, who is an expert in telling us about the bleeding obvious, recounting the bleeding obvious.

Mr PISONI: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order, member for Unley.

Mr PISONI: The Premier is not responsible for the Leader of the Opposition, so consequently he is entering debate.

The SPEAKER: Yes, the member for Unley is quite right. The Premier will desist from referring to the Leader of the Opposition for the balance of the answer.

Mr MARSHALL: A supplementary, sir.

The SPEAKER: Is this a supplementary?

Mr MARSHALL: It certainly is, sir.