Employment

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (14:07): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier inform the house how the government has worked to support employment outcomes for South Australians?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:07): Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank the honourable member and congratulate her on her question, which goes to the heart of the key priority for this government during this term, which is jobs. The government continues to prioritise jobs for South Australians as the central part of its public policy agenda. The first thing that I said during the most recent election campaign was that this was an election campaign, above all else, about jobs.

While there is no doubt that, like the rest of Australia, we face some challenges, South Australia continues to perform better than the historical trend, even before the release of today's positive employment figures. We have prioritised improving skills of South Australians to ensure that we have a more productive workforce, and this has delivered results.

Indeed, when we came into office, less than half of all South Australians had a post-school qualification. Almost one in three students in our public schools weren't continuing to year 12. Now, more than 90 per cent of students are continuing on to year 12 and more than 61 per cent have a university or vocational qualification.

At the turn of the decade, under those opposite, the unemployment rate was over 8 per cent—a full two percentage points above the national average. When those opposite were last in power, thousands more young people didn't have a job when compared to now but, under this government, things have turned around.

We have diversified our economy. As outlined in the Deloitte's Building the Lucky Country report, four of five projected economic opportunities are emerging strengths in South Australia. Indeed, the fifth—the wealth creation industries—also hold prospects for South Australia.

The like-for-like costs of doing business in South Australia are among the lowest in the country. Indeed, Pitcher Partners examined small to medium business company tax rates around the country for businesses and found that costs in South Australia were either the lowest or second-lowest in the country, completely debunking the myth that's been perpetrated by those opposite.

This continues to be one of the great achievements of this government, and it's happened through the concerted effort of all South Australians. As we continue to work to help create jobs in South Australia, a key plank of this work will be the creation of the new agency—the new department for state development—which will be the government's front door to business. This agency will be given the important task of delivering our jobs plan—the only credible plan that has been put in the public sphere to grapple with this important question. Our jobs plan will accelerate the transition in the manufacturing sector and support those communities that are facing enormous uncertainty at the moment.

I acknowledge the fine Address in Reply that was made by the new member for Napier who I think articulated these challenges. He understands, just as all members do, how critical this issue is for our state and in particular those communities directly affected. The department will be given the role of case managing private sector major projects to ensure that they are given the best opportunity to succeed.

While I anticipate those opposite will feign indignation and find some statistic to talk down the economy and claim evidence of a jobs crisis, this government will get on with the business of working with the broader South Australian community, with our academic institutions, with our business community and ensuring that government takes a lead, doesn't step back and just hope that the market might resolve this, but takes a lead in stepping up and creating jobs for the future of our state.