Question Time

Federal Budget

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:05): My question is to the Treasurer. What increase in federal government health funding above the 2014-15 federal budget will SA receive each year going forward, and will the Treasurer apply this to restoring the emergency services levy general remission, as per his promise to the people of South Australia, made in June 2014?

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Newland is called to order. Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:06): In 2015-16, the commonwealth government are returning nothing. In 2016-17, the commonwealth government are returning nothing. In 2017-18, they are returning $35 million—$35 million. So, the gap left from the $35 million returned by the commonwealth government leaves a gap—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader and the Premier are called to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —of $152 million in health funding. The story gets worse. In the 2018-19 financial year, the commonwealth government will return $61 million, leaving the gap from their cuts to $201 million. Then, in 2019-20, that gap between what the commonwealth government are returning from the cuts that they made in their first budget to what the actual cut is is $255 million.

The opposition are basically saying that Premier Mike Baird is a liar. They are saying that he's not right, they are saying that Premier Hodgman is not right, they are saying that Premier Barnett is not right, they are saying the Chief Minister Adam Giles is not right, because all of those premiers, all of those chief ministers, have criticised these cuts made by the commonwealth government.

But, remember this, Mr Speaker: the remissions that the Leader of the Opposition is talking about returning come from other taxes that we raise. They come from stamp duty, they come from land tax, they come from other taxes the state raises. The question the opposition have to ask and answer is: how will they pay for these promises? How will they pay to return over nearly $400 million in remissions? And who are they returning to? Not the people with the lowest land values, but people with the highest land values. Their remissions are all designed about recompensating people who have the most expensive properties. It's about rewarding the wealthy and punishing the poor, and we won't have a part of it.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call to order the members for MacKillop, Unley, Hartley, Morialta, Mitchell, Davenport, Chaffey and the deputy leader. I warn the leader, the member for Mitchell, the member for Chaffey, the member for Morialta, and the member for MacKillop for interjecting, 'I believe the ABC.' I warn for the second and final time the leader and the member for Mitchell. The member for Giles.