Question Time

Mining Employment

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier believe that the forecast growth of 5,000 mining jobs that the government released last October is on track to be achieved?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:30): As with all of the targets that we have set out in the 10 economic priorities—in particular, the near-term targets and the targets we have set out for three years' time—we will be reviewing each of those targets. In relation to the mining targets, there are assumptions that underpin each of the targets and, when the assumptions—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I don't know how funny that is.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. It's not meant to be a joke; that was just meant to be a statement of fact. Each of the targets has underpinning them a set of assumptions. If the assumptions change, like dramatic changes in commodity prices, then we may have to revisit some of the targets.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It's a pretty good excuse, actually. If the facts change, you should change the basis upon which you make decisions on those facts. That is a fairly prudent approach in relation to sensible decision-making in government. So we will be reviewing a number of those targets. Some of them actually will be revised upwards.

Mr Marshall: You only published it less than 12 months ago.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right, and when the assumptions change the targets ought to change. Some of the assumptions have changed favourably to the government and in some cases we will be revising upwards.

Mr Tarzia: The Australian dollar has come down.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Are you interested in listening or do you just like to interrupt every five seconds? Some of the assumptions have moved favourably to us and we will be making adjustments to make some of those targets even harder to achieve, because we believe that circumstances have changed which permit us to do that. So, yes, I do accept that it will be difficult to achieve our targeted increase in mining jobs as a consequence of very rapid and recent changes to the way in which commodity prices have moved against us in South Australia. We will be making those changes public once they have been settled upon.

The SPEAKER: I call to order the members for Chaffey, Stuart, the Minister for Agriculture and the member for Schubert, and I warn for the first time the members for Hartley and Newland. The leader.