Question Time

Job Creation

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:33): My question is to the Premier. Given that South Australia lost 5,300 full-time jobs last month, will the government now work with the opposition on an emergency jobs stimulus program?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:33): Well, we would like to if there was a single innovative new idea that emerged. I saw the document—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I looked carefully at the document that was produced the other day, but it slipped out of my hands and then wafted to the ground. It took about 30 seconds to hit the deck. You cannot produce a policy document that doesn't have thwack! You need a bit of thwack in the policy document, not one that just—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

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

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Let's be completely honest about what happened. We heard all the criticism about the lack of substance and the emptiness of those opposite, so there was obviously a bit of a flat panic that went on over there. So, what they did was they got all of the previous media releases and then one of their federal colleagues told them that jobs were coming up in the focus group, so they put a cover on it which said, 'Jobs, jobs, jobs', put a staple on it and then published it.

Ms Vlahos interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Taylor is warned.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We would love to work with you. We are working very well with your federal colleagues. I just had a very productive meeting.

Dr McFetridge interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett is called to order. Query whether that kind of language is unparliamentary. It certainly would be in India.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I did have a very productive meeting earlier this afternoon with the Minister for Defence, Senator Marise Payne.

Dr McFetridge interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett is warned.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We had a very productive meeting about the very topic of jobs and the most important jobs decision that could be made for South Australia which is the Future Submarine project. I also had a very productive meeting with somebody I know is dear to the heart of many of those opposite, the Hon. Christopher Pyne, yesterday about the very topic of jobs.

Of course, I also had a very productive meeting with another gentleman, the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, the Prime Minister of this country, where we discussed the question of jobs, and we put on the table a series of projects, one of which was actually mentioned in the plan that was promulgated by the Leader of the Opposition. It concerns the northern areas irrigation plan, although curiously it had a $6 million price tag on it—ours had a $170 million price tag on it—but maybe we are talking about a small scaled-up pilot version of the project that we are talking about.

The Hon. J.J. Snelling interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Maybe some sprinklers instead of an irrigation project. Nevertheless, we remain willing to work with those opposite. I hope that they will join with us in advancing a very powerful united state front on the question of future submarines—the single most important jobs project for our state.

The SPEAKER: Before the supplementary is asked, the members for Chaffey, Mitchell and Mount Gambier and the Minister for Health are called to order, and the deputy leader and the member for Taylor are warned for the second and the last time.