Federal Budget

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (14:23): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier inform the house about efforts by the South Australian government to address cuts announced in the recent federal budget?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:23): I thank the honourable member for her question. As promised in the lead-up to the state election, we will continue the fight against the federal government budget cuts that have such a dramatic effect on South Australia.

I am pleased to advise the house that today I met with key industry and community leaders to discuss the establishment of the Federal Budget Response Taskforce. It is a new group which draws on a cross-section of those affected by cuts to funding in South Australia, and the Leader of the Opposition may be interested in this particular point because it would benefit from him also adding his voice to the efforts of all South Australians in attempting to resist the federal budget cuts.

I know that those opposite support the federal budget and are one of the few states and territories that stand on their own in support of the federal budget, but we are trying to unite the rest of the South Australian community against these cuts—cuts in the order of $5.5 billion in relation to health and education alone. This group will lead a campaign against the federal cuts which have been inflicted on South Australia in the recent federal budget and amount to, effectively, the Americanisation of our health and education systems.

When people pay federal government taxes, they expect the money to be spent on core services like health, education and supporting vulnerable people in their communities, but the federal government has decided to cut funding in a bid to force this sector down some American-style pay-as-you-go system that benefits those that can afford to pay. In doing so, they are also adopting that same philosophy for the universities, as they seek to take that system down that path. Sir, I—

The SPEAKER: You certainly haven't had four minutes yet, Premier. Owing to the failure of the system, I will bring in the Crvena Zvezda stopwatch.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The old ways are often the best, sir. The purpose of the task force is to take up the fight to Canberra and to campaign against these cuts. We have to make them real to South Australians because, sadly, there are so many horrors in this federal budget that many of the deepest and most threatening elements are not well understood by our community.

The truth is that these $5.5 billion cuts are not well understood. The $7 co-payment cuts, the cuts to the university system, the cuts to welfare and the cuts to our pensions are better understood than those very significant cuts to our health and education systems: 3,000 teachers, 3,000 nurses, the very significant effect that will have on people who are sick and trying to go to public hospitals, and young people seeking to learn and having their unique needs met in our public schooling system.

It is a very substantial threat to the way in which our federation is organised. We hear this nonsense about governments being sovereign in their own spheres. What that is code for is the commonwealth retreating to responsibilities that it suggests it had historically in 1901 and that, somehow, they are an appropriate distribution of responsibilities as between the state and federal governments.

Well, it's transparent nonsense. Obviously, the world has changed since 1901. The integration of commonwealth and state responsibility is profound, and for one government to retreat and simply say, 'Well, it's over to you for your bit,' doesn't make—

The SPEAKER: Point of order from the member for Stuart.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: The Premier has run out of time.

The SPEAKER: No, it's a completely bogus point of order.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: No, sir, I started timing when he spoke because I saw—

Members interjecting:

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: I noticed that the Clerk was otherwise engaged, and I thought I would give you some help. Someone's got to take charge.

The SPEAKER: I have not appointed the member for Stuart official timekeeper. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Perhaps I will conclude on this basis: there is only one institution and organisation in the South Australian community that seems to be speaking up in support of the federal budget. I must say, that is not entirely fair; Bob Day seems to be there as well, but it seems to be the local Liberal opposition.

The SPEAKER: The Premier's time has expired. During that entertainment, I warn for the first time the members for Heysen, Schubert and Mount Gambier. I call the member for Mitchell to order and, as a bonus, I warn the member for Schubert for the second time and also the member for Mount Gambier for the second time, and did I mention a second warning for the member for Chaffey—he knew it was coming. The leader.