House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Question Time Gillman Land Sale Gillman Land Sale Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Leader of the Opposition Gillman Land Sale Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (13:23): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier accept responsibility for failing to deliver the 6,000 jobs that he promised would result from the Gillman land sale? Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The question is, of course, phrased in a rhetorical manner and may be answered in the same manner. Premier. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly Cheltenham Premier The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (13:23): Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I accept responsibility for the published BankSA data that's out today which says that business confidence is the highest in three years. I accept— Members interjecting: The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I accept responsibility for one of the great international fashion festivals that wound up last week. Mr Pisoni House of Assembly Mr Pisoni: Hear, hear! The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I accept responsibility for the largest international conference that will ever be held in Adelaide at the magnificent new Convention Centre— Members interjecting: The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —the Global Aviation Conference, here in South Australia. I accept responsibility for Lonely Planet nominating South Australia as the best place to visit in the whole of Australia and one of the five best regions in the world. I accept responsibility for the $1 billion project we announced on the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The leader is warned. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It must be awful to wake up in the morning and hear the dulcet tones of the Treasurer talking about us having a three-year high in business confidence. It must be: gee, this is going to spoil what they expected to be a good day. The truth is that, despite all those opposite cheering and barracking for this project to hit the deck, they have got what they wanted: we are now the proud owners of 450 hectares of swamp. So, they have got what they wanted, but we are not going to be deterred. Just as we played a key role in the development of the Bowden site, we purchased that, and now it is turning into an exciting housing and urban development, just as we sought to purchase the Tonsley site and played a role in assembling that, and now employing more people at that site than when Mitsubishi was operating, just as we have assembled the Lipson estate and are going to make sure that we turn that into an important industrial estate for the people of South Australia, we will not be deterred. We know there is a choice about a government that is prepared to act and be an active partner in the modernisation of the South Australian economy or those that want to sit back—sit back—and just leave it to the market. We know what happens in small jurisdictions when you sit back and wait: nothing—that's what happens. We will, despite all the naysaying— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The leader is warned for the second and final time. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Despite all the naysayers, there is a growing excitement about change that's occurring within the South Australian economy, its social fabric. Those opposite that continue to talk down South Australia are out of step with what is happening in South Australia. Increasingly, doubts are turning to the chief cheerleader in the negativity. The Hon. J.J. Snelling House of Assembly The Hon. J.J. Snelling: Whinger in chief. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right, and those behind him must be desperately worried that—could it be another four years in the wilderness? Could it be?