Grievance Debate

State Finances

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (16:22): Today, we see the real Jay Weatherill, the real Premier of this state.

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader will be seated. The deputy leader will not refer to members of the house by their Christian name and surname. She knows that is the rule. She knows why it is the rule. If the deputy leader does it again I will name her. Deputy leader.

Ms CHAPMAN: The Premier of South Australia has made a promise to the people of South Australia that he will either increase taxes or close hospitals if he does not get his way with respect to the money that he is demanding from Canberra. He has used, consistently, the claim that unless he gets what he wants in relation to GST, which is now off the table, that we will have to pay the price. This is the threat to South Australians. No other state has closed hospitals in the wake of the allegation that state Treasury funds are so depleted that it is necessary to close hospitals—no other state in Australia.

This government, under this Premier, has made it absolutely clear to South Australians that if he does not get what he wants then he will nominate hospitals to be closed, moreover, he will find some other nasty state tax to increase. If you do not believe he will do it, just have a look at the form over the last 18 months: budget 2014, after the election he comes in and says, 'We have to have a car park tax.' If it was not for the vigilant work of people in this parliament (mostly on our side of the house), with the support of other people in the community, we would have that imposed on us today. The 2014 election comes along and, guess what: we have the increased ESL. That is an extra tax that has been placed on South Australians—a property tax, a backdoor land tax that has been imposed across the board in South Australia.

To make matters worse, we also had a backyard death tax, backyard death duties. As at 1 January, it is more expensive not just to live in South Australia, not just to pay the costs of the expenses of living in this state (the costs of operating business and the costs of working), but it is also the most expensive state in the country to die.

I can only say to South Australians that if you want probate on your will and for your will to receive legal recognition to ensure the distribution of an estate, there has now has been a massive increase in probate fees in this state. It is $300 to have a probated will in Victoria. For an estate over $1 million in this state, which would involve a home, cars, a bit of furniture, or if someone owns some property or a farm, they get slugged $3,000 as of last month. You cannot even die in this state without being taxed. It is an absolute disgrace.

We know that the government are insincere in relation to their claim that they are here fighting for South Australians, and they are totally duplicitous in making the claim that they need to increase taxes to meet a shortfall of revenue. The Treasurer has stood here in the parliament and issued the budget this year, then gone through the Mid-Year Budget Review and claimed to South Australians that he has got a $2.7 billion surplus over the forward estimates.

He can stand here in the parliament and tell us that after the budget, and on review, there are going to be billions of dollars of extra money raining in during the forward estimates, yet the Premier will stand here, and go on radio, and threaten South Australians with, 'You do what I want, you do what I demand, you give me what I want or we close your hospitals.' It is absolutely unconscionable what the Premier is doing when, two seats down from him, his own Treasurer is saying, 'I promise South Australians in my budget there will be a $2.7 billion surplus.' Do we believe Jay, or do we believe Tom?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Bragg, the Speaker called you to order earlier for referring to people by their names in the chamber. I can only presume you did that deliberately and ask you not to do it again.

Ms CHAPMAN: Do you believe the Premier, or do you believe the Treasurer?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.

Ms CHAPMAN: I do not believe either of them. I do not think for one minute that we can have surpluses according to what Mr Koutsantonis, as the Treasurer, has stated.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member will sit down. Her time has nearly expired, and she has done it again, deliberately, flouting the ruling of the Speaker, which I will bring to his attention, and I dare say he will not be pleased. The member for Colton.