Question Time

Tramline Extension

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:09): My question is to the Premier. Is the Premier's election promise to install a right-hand turn on North Terrace for the trams within the first 12 months set in stone?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:09): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. We plan to deliver on every single one of the commitments that we made in the lead-up to the election. The people of South Australia elected us to do exactly and precisely that.

The reality is that they feel very let down by the previous government, who talked a lot before the election and then did very little after the election; in fact, in some instances you might remember they did a lot after elections. They took away that emergency services levy remission after the 2014 election after not making a single mention of this before the election. So people don't want surprises—

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order, Premier. If the Premier could please be seated for one moment. The point of order.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Relevance, sir: the question was about the tram right-hand turn, not the ESL.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! That is not an invitation for members on my right to interject. Standing order 98 does ask that the minister answer the substance of the question.

The Hon. T.J. Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Primary Industries is called to order. I will listen carefully. I believe the Premier did begin to answer the substance of the question, and then he may have drifted on to other matters, but I am sure that shortly he will return back to the substance of the question. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you, sir. It is a great pleasure to talk to this parliament here today about commitments that were made before the election. The Leader of the Opposition specifically asks about one, but can I just say that I think that we made in excess of 300 commitments to the people of South Australia. It was a very comprehensive set of commitments that we took to the people of South Australia, and we will be delivering on each and every one of them. This is what the people of South Australia want.

Sir, as a way of evidence to provide before this parliament today, I can tell you, inform you and inform the parliament that we have already taken a lot of action to deliver on those commitments. We put out a 100-day plan where we made progress on every single one of the commitments that we have made. We have already returned the emergency services levy remission, which was writ by those opposite and which was basically taken out without warning to the people of South Australia—$90 million per year, which the former treasurer thought was better off in his pocket rather than in the pockets of ordinary South Australians.

We completely disagree. We think that the taxpayers of South Australia are in a better position to decide how to spend their money, and the good news, sir, is that they are doing that. There is increased confidence in the South Australian economy because there is more money in the pockets of ordinary South Australians—

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —whether it be households, whether it be small business—

The SPEAKER: Point of order, Premier. Let's hear the point of order.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Standing order 98, sir: the Premier is now debating another topic altogether.

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order. I believe the question was about an election promise, about a right-hand turn and whether it was set in stone. Would the Premier like to return to the substance of the question?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Yes, thank you sir, I do. I reiterate to the house what I said at the outset in my answer to the question, and that is that we made a large number of commitments to the people of South Australia; and, unlike those opposite when they were in power for 16 long and tedious years, breaking promise after promise after promise. We won't be doing that. We will be delivering on each and every one of our commitments.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the leader on the next question, I call the following members to order: the member for Light, the member for Playford, the member for Lee, the member for Waite and the member for Hurtle Vale. The Leader of the Opposition.