Employment Figures

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (15:09): My question is to the Premier. Now that our unemployment rate has reached 7.3 per cent, officially the highest in the nation, does the Premier stand by the government's promise to create 100,000 new jobs by 2016?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (15:09): Repeating in a loud and angry voice the nature of the challenge does not illuminate the issue. If this had been a persuasive tactic, the Leader of the Opposition would be standing here and I would be sitting over there—or probably not sitting over there actually, I would probably be up the back. So, this obviously has not been a persuasive tactic. Loudly repeating the nature of the challenge, and I think—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The Premier has just gone on and on about the nature of the questions asked.

The SPEAKER: Yes, going on and on is not a breach of standing orders.

Ms CHAPMAN: It is completely irrelevant to an answer.

The Hon. J.J. Snelling interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Health is called to order. What is the point of order?

Ms CHAPMAN: Failing to address the substance of the question at all.

The SPEAKER: That is always a hard one to get up. The Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I was just getting warmed up. If this was a persuasive point of view, it would have attracted more support for the Leader of the Opposition because that is frankly all that has been offered—that is, very loudly articulating the nature of the problem. That is not sufficient. In fact, if the Leader of the Opposition is not prepared to take my advice about advancing positive ideas for the future of South Australia, he should at least listen to his mentor and former premier of Victoria Jeff Kennett, who just yesterday said:

I trust that if I am criticised for supporting Labor's Jay Weatherill, those who launch such criticism will understand that I am not turning Left, just embracing good and necessary policy.

Those remarks were about our efforts to be able to generate ideas which are about the future prosperity of South Australia. Indeed, if he wants to go further, I don't necessarily think that Nigel McBride is a mentor of the Leader of the Opposition, but generally speaking he would be regarded as a supporter—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker. Statements about those who are allegedly giving advice to the Leader of the Opposition are nothing to do with the question about the government standing by its commitment to create—

The SPEAKER: And the point of order is?

Ms CHAPMAN: Absolute relevance.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I hope the Premier will join up his remarks.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I will join up my remarks in due course, sir. Nigel McBride is asking the Leader of the Opposition to 'keep his powder dry' and suspend judgement on a number of these important positive ideas about the future of South Australia.

Mr PISONI: A point of order, Mr Speaker. This question was about the government's promise to create 100,000 jobs.

The SPEAKER: Yes, and the Premier is addressing economic policy which I think is related to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Well, look, the member for Unley has been warned up to the maximum. He has continued to interject, not just on this occasion but before. He is very close to leaving the house again. His point of order is not valid. The Premier is talking about economic policy which is germane to the creation of jobs and he is quoting certain people who he thinks support his side of the argument. The Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. We do not need the monthly unemployment figures, which do fluctuate from time to time, to know that we face very substantial challenges here in this state. We do not need the Leader of the Opposition to repeat the bleeding obvious for us to understand the gravity and the urgency of what we are grappling with. That is why we have laid out 10 economic priorities for the future of South Australia. Our project is always about the creation of jobs, and when we seek to advance ideas about the creation of jobs, such as building 12 new submarines here in South Australia, what we get from those opposite is the supine, lickspittling that goes on in favour of the federal Liberal government. If they would just raise their voice, if they would just stand with us once—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Before I take the member for Morialta's point of order, I warn him for the second time for interjection. I also warn the leader for the second and final time, and the member for Mitchell for the first time. Member for Morialta?

Mr GARDNER: Sir, accepting your previous ruling, the Premier is clearly debating as we have strayed into an area that is well beyond 2016, the time frame about which the question was asked.

The SPEAKER: I hope the Premier's remarks can be perhaps a little more contemporaneous.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: My remarks are directed at the projects this state is advancing on behalf of itself so that it can grow jobs and our economy now. All of the initiatives that we are promoting for our 10 strategic priorities are about growing our economy, and every time we advance a positive idea for the future of South Australia what we have from those opposite is derision and barriers that are put in our way of achieving these things. Just simply accept the advice of almost every commentator that now exists in South Australia. Get on board and engage in a positive debate about the future of our economy.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Get out of the way.

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is called to order.