Employment Figures

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:09): My question is to the Minister for Industry and Skills. Will the minister update the house on the labour force participation rate in South Australia that was released today?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Industry and Skills) (14:09): It is terrific to get a question about jobs from one tradesman to another here in this house. Since the election of the Marshall Liberal government in March, business confidence has increased markedly here in South Australia. The latest labour force statistics confirm a new confidence. The number of employed people in South Australia in April was the highest on record, surpassing 840,000 for the first time in the state's history, to reach 840,700 in trend terms. The number of full-time employed in South Australia in April was the highest in almost seven years, at 545,000. The trend unemployment rate in South Australia in April was the lowest in five years, at 5.9 per cent. The trend participation rate in April was the highest in five years, at 62.9 per cent.

What that means is that more people are feeling confident to put themselves forward to apply for a job because they know that they have a better chance of getting a job under this government than they had previously under the rabble over the aisle. The statistics tell the story. Under Labor, the state's unemployment reached a peak of 7.8 per cent, in trend terms in July 2015, to a peak of 8.2 per cent, seasonally adjusted in June 2015. South Australia had the highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for 26 of 48 months under the mob opposite.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the minister is debating the question and not answering the substance of it.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully. Minister, please direct your answer to the substance of the question.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Thank you, Mr Speaker, for your guidance. These are statistics, You can't debate these figures: these are from the ABS. There's no debate here. South Australia recorded the highest trend unemployment rate of all the states for 31 of 48 months, or around two-thirds of that period under that mob over there. South Australia recorded the highest or the second highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of all the states for 37 of the last 48 months, or three-quarters of the time under that mob over there.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the minister is engaging in debate. The question was looking prospectively, not backwards.

The SPEAKER: I will continue to listen carefully, but I do believe that this answer is quite germane to the question. Minister.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Thank you, Mr Speaker. In order to know where you are going, you have to know where you have been. Where we have been has been a terrible experience for South Australian workers—

The SPEAKER: Please continue with your answer, minister.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —in this state under this government. What the figures today show is that the light at the end of the tunnel is on and employers are now prepared to grow their businesses

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —and we know when they grow their businesses they employ staff.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the next member, I call to order the members for Mawson, Cheltenham and Badcoe.