Question Time

Jobs Growth Forecast

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): My question is to the Treasurer. Given the Treasurer and Premier have claimed to have delivered a 'jobs budget', why do the budget papers show only a 1 per cent employment growth forecast for next year?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:24): We are being conservative. I found instructive the remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition today. In his question just now, he presupposes that the budget is not a jobs budget yet calls on me to bring forward the measures in the budget to create jobs.

Either this budget creates jobs or it does not. So, what the Leader of the Opposition is putting to the people of South Australia is: this budget is so bad, bring the measures in the budget forward; this budget is so bad bring it forward. That is what he is putting to the people of South Australia. I mean, really, Mr Speaker.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Leader of the Opposition is lost—he is lost. He never put these types of tax package to the people.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order.

Mr Pederick: Chuck him out!

The SPEAKER: What, without even having warned him first? Of course, I may be an optimist here but I think that the Treasurer would be less inclined to debate if he was not confronted with a wall of noise. Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I just want to distribute the facts, sir, and the facts are these: by the time this budget's measures are completed we will be the lowest-taxing jurisdiction of all the states. We have delivered tax reform that the opposition could never have even imagined—cuts to the mining sector, to the property sector.

There are many people who have said wonderful things about the budget, but the one that stands out the most is Mr Daniel Gannon. Mr Gannon has had lots to say, but he says this:

The peak body for Australia's $680 billion property industry has welcomed the abolition of commercial conveyance stamp duties labelling it 'a bright green light for investment'.

He says, I quote:

The removal of this dead weight business tax is a green light for investment and a positive platform for investment hunting and will also accelerate transaction activity across the state.

These tax cuts were never proposed by the opposition. If we had followed the model of the opposition there would be cuts to land tax (a very efficient tax), there would be cuts to payroll tax. Only 10 per cent of South Australian businesses pay payroll tax—130,000 businesses would have received absolutely nothing. Our tax changes touch every single business in this state.

The Liberal opposition has more in common with the Greens than they do with their past, with Sir Thomas Playford looking disapprovingly—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr GARDNER: The minister is debating the topic, sir.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, there is a political party that does not support unconventional gas. There is a political party that does not support a crackdown on bikies; it is more interested in civil liberties. It is not the Greens: it is the Liberal Party.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer will not canvass a bill before parliament, the serious and organised crime legislation: he will address the question of employment growth. If the Treasurer has finished, I call to order the members for Hartley, Chaffey, Adelaide, Morialta, Mount Gambier, Schubert, Stuart and Hammond. I warn for the first time the leader, the member for Morialta, the member for Hartley and the member for Chaffey, and I warn for the second and final time the member for Morialta. Leader.