Question Time

State Budget

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): My question is to the Premier. Given that the government has now adopted Liberal Party policy to restore pensioner concessions, fund body-worn cameras for South Australian police, focus on international students and today's announcement to cut the Save the River Murray levy, will the government adopt our policy to reinstate the remissions on the emergency services levy in tomorrow's state budget?

The SPEAKER: Before the Treasurer answers that, the leader must be aware that the scope for replying to that goes over the horizon. So, I trust that, given that he has asked such an open-ended question, he won't object to anything the Treasurer has to say in the next four minutes because it will be very hard even for the Treasurer to be out of order. Treasurer.

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is called to order.

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is warned for the first time.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:13): We are not interested in their policy, just their—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —calm down—just their frontbenchers. That's what we are interested in, Mr Speaker. I know that the level of frustration—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is called to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —for members opposite is growing, watching the government govern, another four years in opposition brought to you courtesy of your current leader. I know that it hurts to watch the government implement good policies to grow the economy. I know that watching the irrelevance of the opposition. Three more budgets until the next election—sitting there patiently, knowing that the reason the opposition are in opposition is entirely in the hands of the Leader of the Opposition.

The Leader of the Opposition couldn't have put it better himself than he did on the day before the last state election—couldn't have put it better himself: 'If you want to grow jobs, if you want to invest in the economy, then tomorrow you need to go out and vote Labor. You need to go out and vote Labor.' The Leader of the Opposition couldn't have put it better himself. I can tell by his anxiety today that he is worried—he is worried about a good budget. He's worried about a budget that will deliver more jobs, that will deliver what the people of South Australia are looking for from their government. And the anxiety is growing.

If only he hadn't run away from every press conference, if only he had talked about Wok in a Box before, if only he hadn't told everyone to go out and vote Labor, it might have been him over here talking about tomorrow's budget. But instead, because of the way he conducted himself in the last election campaign, he's got a former Liberal leader talking about questioning his policy on outlaw motorcycle gangs, he's got a former deputy leader questioning his policies on outlaw motorcycle gangs and he's got his current deputy saying she is unhappy with the current laws.

Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition should look in the mirror before he attacks this government for getting on with the business of delivering good government to the people of this state. Now—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Screaming at me because you lost the last election isn't my fault. I played a small role, but the truth is that the only person the opposition can blame for the reason they are sitting there watching us deliver this next budget tomorrow is the Leader of the Opposition. Can I just say again: thank you, thank you. Like a gift voucher, the gift that keeps on giving.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Don't tell me there's a supplementary.

Mr MARSHALL: Second question, sir.

The SPEAKER: Second question, leader.