Bills

Supply Bill 2017

Second Reading

Debate resumed.

Mr GEE (Napier) (16:54): Today, I will speak in support of the Supply Bill. I will not take very long as I know everybody is eager to get out of here. I concentrated on the member for Hartley's contribution, which was a very interesting speech.

Today, I am going to speak in support of the Supply Bill and speak about the Labor government delivering for South Australia. Our state, thanks to the leadership of the Premier and the Treasurer, has given us Australia's third strongest economy. It is an economy that has now grown to above $100 billion per annum, and it is an economy that will continue to grow. New jobs are being created through the state government's business tax cuts and grants to those businesses that employ additional staff, again helping businesses grow the economy, create jobs, reduce unemployment, and in turn help the federal government to improve their economic position.

It is clear that since the 2016 federal election the federal government really needs all the help it can get. In fact, the Liberal government were lucky not to have been wiped out. You can probably make a pretty good case to show that the whole country would have been better off if they had been. Anyway, why dwell on the inertia of the federal Liberal Party? At least they have spent some time in government, unlike the South Australian Liberals, just hopelessly wallowing in their policy vacuum. How things have changed in the Liberal Party. What would the great Sir Thomas Playford think if he were here today?

Labor, on the other hand, continues to deliver important infrastructure outcomes for South Australians. Recent examples include the Adelaide Oval, the two-way Southern Expressway, the Northern Expressway, the South Road Superway and an almost total rebuild of Lyell McEwin Hospital. Across South Australia there are new schools and new police, ambulance and fire stations. Across country SA there are new facilities in rural hospitals including a new $2.29 million renal unit at the Gawler hospital, and the investment in roads and the CBD have been significant.

As a new member of parliament, I am incredibly proud to be part of a government that has fought to secure our water future through a healthy Murray River system and desalination plant. This government is now securing South Australia's energy future. An energy plan is progressing well, and is overwhelmingly supported by South Australians. We received over 30 expressions of interest to build the government owned gas-fired power station. Just to remind the parliament, the reason we are building this piece of energy infrastructure is—that is right—because the Liberals sold it. We have also had over 90 expressions of interest to build a new battery to store surplus clean, green energy—the biggest battery in the Southern Hemisphere. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.