Job Accelerator Grant Scheme

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (14:40): My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer update the house on the Job Accelerator Grant Scheme?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:40): It is. Yes, it confirms our budget; it was excellent. I thank the member for his question; I know he is a strong supporter of small to medium-size enterprises. He is someone who has been an advocate for the business community in this parliament and I thank him for his support.

The government fully appreciates that small to medium-size enterprises are the lifeblood of our state and our economy. Our state's property grows with their prosperity and success and that is why everyone in the government is focused, through our economic policies, on ensuring that these businesses thrive and that South Australia becomes the best place in Australia to do business. We make no apologies: this government is unashamedly pro business.

Despite the unprecedented challenges we face with the closure by the commonwealth government of the Australian car manufacturing industry in this country, the global decline in mineral commodity prices and the gaps the commonwealth has created in naval shipbuilding, there are many positive signs in our economy: 12,700 jobs have been added in the 12 months to February 2017. I can inform the house that as of yesterday 3,106 businesses have registered for the Job Accelerator Grant for a total of 7,639 positions out of our $109 million Job Accelerator Grant program for businesses to employ additional staff since the scheme was announced in the most recent budget.

The program grants up to $10,000 for each and every job created for eligible businesses with taxable payrolls of $5 million or less and up to $4,000 for each and every job created by small businesses, start-ups and other employers that are not liable for payroll tax. Businesses in this state are growing and they are hiring. We have seen recent announcements, with Boeing creating 250 highly skilled jobs, including roles for software engineers and researchers, through a five-year plan to set up a new Adelaide CBD hub.

The state government is also committing $110 million to help expand the Northern Adelaide Plains irrigated food production area, which will create 3,700 jobs in and around Adelaide's northern suburbs and add more than $500 million a year to the state's economy, which has broken the $100 billion mark.

Mr Williams interjecting:

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The business community now sees an action plan by this state government. They understand that the 2015-16 state budget was about cutting taxes so that businesses were free to invest and grow. They have seen this government deliver the most comprehensive tax reform package in our state's history, which sees us abolishing business stamp duties and returning $670 million to businesses and families. Small and medium-size businesses are the backbone of our economy—

Ms Sanderson: Yes, and they're all leaving.

The SPEAKER: The member for Adelaide is warned for the second and final time.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and we want to reward those businesses for their efforts and help them grow, and help them grow faster. The small business community should be reassured that they have a friend in this government that is supporting them and that we have their back. These grants are designed to exactly help those small businesses go out and make that decision.

It is not the entire aspect of making that decision to hire a new employee, but it makes it that little bit easier. A $10,000 or a $4,000 grant makes it that little bit easier to make that decision to hire a new employee. Over 7,000 of our small businesses have applied to register for this grant. I think that is a comprehensive acceptance that this program is working and working well, despite members opposite criticising it.