Question Time

State Budget

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): My question is to the Treasurer. Does the Treasurer still believe that the recent state budget was a jobs budget and good for business given the release of today's State Monitor report, which shows that business and consumer confidence have never been lower?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:20): It's interesting that when the NAB survey came out after the budget there was no comment from the opposition.

Mr Gardner: That was from before the budget.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: And it was done after the budget.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Again, again, again—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader, I call him to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The NAB survey was done after the budget—oops, oops!

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The monthly survey—

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: NAB's own monthly survey released on 11 July revealed that business confidence in South Australia—

Ms Sanderson interjecting:

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Whenever there is positive news, the opposition get very upset. The NAB's own monthly survey revealed that business confidence in South Australia improved following the announcement of the SA major bank levy. The survey was conducted—conducted from when?—26 to 30 June. Oops, oops! Again, another one of those moments for the Leader of the Opposition, one minute telling everyone to vote Labor and then says the NAB survey was done before the budget, then gets it wrong. And here he is again, here he is again—foot-in-mouth disease! But again—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Again, it gets better. It gets better—and shouting is not a substitute for policy. This is despite coming from the Liberal Party that the major banks subject to the levy will hurt business investment. There is a very simple proposition here: if the banks could pass on this levy to South Australians, why would they be so upset? Why would they be so angry? They are upset because they can't pass it on. They are upset because they have to take it out of the retained offers. That's why.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Members opposite, in that moment when they have realised, 'We've chosen the wrong horse again—chosen the wrong horse again,' can't even rationalise in their own minds the reason that banks are so upset is that they can't pass it on. The anger and the frustration and the screaming from the Leader of the Opposition is because there is no alternative to talk about.

Mr Marshall: More taxes!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Mr Speaker—

Mr Marshall: More taxes!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: This government has cut more taxes than the opposition have ever dreamed about cutting. We have cut payroll tax, we have cut stamp duty, we have increased the tax threshold. The opposition have no tax policy. They say lower taxes—where is the policy?

Quite frankly, when they talk about the BankSA survey, what I think has been a very politicised survey, which is unfortunate for Mr Nick Reade and BankSA because in the end he answers to his employers in Sydney who run Westpac—and I note today that there was a question asked at a press conference about who was paying for Business SA's ads in the paper and we find out that it's the banks—it's the banks. It's the banks who are paying for the ads that Business SA have.

But, as I have said before, after branch closure, after branch closure, after sacking, after sacking, finally the banks have opened up a new branch. Finally they've got a new shopfront—it's the Liberal Party and they are here to help the banks.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Point of order: I don't know about other members on this side, but I am having trouble hearing the Treasurer and I am actually interested in what the Treasurer was having to say, but I had trouble hearing it because of all the bellowing over there. Through you, Mr Speaker, I for one would like to hear what the Treasurer has to say.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Would the leader be seated.

Mr Marshall: That was an impromptu speech, sir, and a bogus point of order.

The SPEAKER: No. No, I was having trouble hearing, too. No, it wasn't a bogus point of order.

Mr Marshall: What was the point of order?

The SPEAKER: The point of order is that standing orders were being breached by continual interjections. Standing order 142 reads that when a member is speaking no-one 'may make a noise or disturbance or converse aloud'. I think the Deputy Premier was drawing attention to all the conversing aloud that was occurring.

I call to order the members for Mitchell, Newland, Chaffey, Hartley and the deputy leader. I warn for the first time the leader and the member for Morialta. I warn for the second and the last time the member for Morialta. Leader.