House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Employment Figures Employment Figures Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Leader of the Opposition Employment Figures Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): My question is to the Treasurer. Why can't the Treasurer bring himself to admit that his government's economic policies have failed and that, in fact, we have 800 fewer jobs in South Australia now than when they made the promise to create 100,000 new jobs in 2010? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Before I call the Treasurer, if a member of the opposition asks a question like that, he or she is going to get it back in spades. The Treasurer. Members interjecting: The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly West Torrens Minister for Finance Minister for State Development Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy Minister for Small Business The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:38): Thank you for the latitude, sir. The bombing will commence shortly. Mr Speaker, our exports are at record levels. Exports are growing. Investment in construction for new homes is growing. People are investing. Consumer confidence is coming back. Yes, unemployment is too high, but we are investing in the industries that are going to grow, and members opposite are doing all they can to stop those investments. They are the ones who are out there supporting the pseudoscience into unconventional gas. I have to say, for the shadow minister, whose seat Moomba resides within, to be out there actually entertaining and inquiring into unconventional gas and their practices is, I think, the height of hypocrisy. The reality is we are going to grow this economy. We are investing in the industries that are going to grow jobs in the 21^st century. Members opposite can snipe from the sidelines. They can demote the conservatives and promote the social liberals up as much as they like, because they have no core economic policies—they have none. I will give you an example. At the last election, what was the resources policy? There wasn't one. We are the third largest resources state in the country, and they didn't release a resources policy. Members interjecting: The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We'll have more to say on that, Mr Speaker. Members interjecting: The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I have to say I think the opposition has settled nicely into its new role, comfortable with what they're best at: being a poor opposition. Rather than sniping from the sidelines, how about giving us an alternative—how about an alternative policy? How about a policy on mining? How about a policy on education? How about a policy on health? How about a policy on something other than just taxation? How about it? Members interjecting: Mr Whetstone House of Assembly Mr Whetstone: How about not sending the state broke? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is called to order. The leader.