JOBS GROWTH FORECAST

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (15:09): If that be the case, Premier, why is the quarterly number of commencements now at its lowest level in 15 years?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (15:10): Mr Speaker, is there anything they can take joy in? Today we have statistics to demonstrate that we have grown the South Australian economy, that we have the highest level of private-sector investment that we have seen in a number of months—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned for the second and final time.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —and those opposite search for a skerrick of data to actually point in the opposite direction, because they want to tamp down the confidence they can see all around them. When young people are actually beginning to say to you in the street, 'This place is really starting to come alive. I had thought about leaving this state'—

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Point of order: I ask, Mr Speaker, you bring the Premier back to the substance of the question, which was—

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to what the Premier—

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: —why the apprenticeship starts are the lowest in 15 years.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I know what the question was. I don't need an impromptu speech. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The young people are starting university education, they are starting traineeships, they are going to TAFE colleges, they are going to universities, and the reason they are staying here in South Australia is because they are seeing exciting things happening. Every single one of them, if we had listened to those opposite, would not be there: the hospital, the oval, even the poor old Rolling Stones—you can't even have some fun. These guys hate fun.