Business Confidence

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (14:36): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier update the house on what action the government is taking to boost business confidence in South Australia?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:36): It is with great pleasure that I rise to answer the member for Morphett's question. He, of course, was somebody who served in the business community. He was also a footballer, although unfortunately not with a particularly good football outfit, being the Collingwood Football Club. Nevertheless, he was a great footballer and a great businessman and now he finds himself here in this parliament. He, like many of the people in this parliament, and certainly on this side of the house, is very interested in growing business confidence in this state.

We have just had an election. We took a strong plan for real change to the people of South Australia: more jobs, lower costs, better services. We did this because we want to grow the size of our economy and we want to have more business confidence. We want to have more business confidence in this state because we know that this will create the jobs for our next generation in South Australia.

We have not wasted a second since coming to government on 17 March. From day one, we have been out releasing the handbrake on the business community in South Australia—the productive component of the economy—those people in our economy who are putting their capital and their wealth on the line to create opportunities for the next generation. Let me tell you, there are some green shoots that I should share with this parliament today.

The Sensis Business Index has been published today. The June quarter release is out. Let me tell you, small to medium business confidence has improved nine points, now to a net balance of +45. This is a fantastic result and exactly what the member for Morphett was asking about. What are we doing to boost business confidence? We are providing that leadership, lower costs, less regulation, a focus on supporting small business, and we are already starting to see that important improvement being made.

I must say that what I found very interesting in the report were the attitudes towards state government policies. In the Sensis survey for the June quarter, it showed that attitudes towards state government policies jumped a staggering 37 points in a single survey to a net balance of +18. This is the highest rating on record for this state.

I would just like to perhaps share with the house something which is written in the report on page 32, which may be of interest to those opposite. There was a 37 point improvement in the net rating recorded for the recently elected SA government, to a score of +18, which is the highest balance seen in the state. The outgoing government was the least popular in the nation last survey, and the new government is the second most popular. Positive opinions reflect the view that the government is supportive of small business.

Mr Malinauskas: Name one thing you've put into effect.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The Leader of the Opposition asked for one thing that we've put into effect, and I am very happy to do so. On 1 July, which was only a few days ago, this government actually stuck $90 million back into the South Australian economy. That's what we've done because on this side of the house we know that taxes are just a drag on the productive component of our economy and they were suppressing business activity in our state, so we put $90 million back in.

And let me tell you what we're going to do next year: another $90 million, and the year after another $90 million, and the year after another $90 million—$360 million back into our economy because, unlike those opposite, who always thought that it was logical to tax our way to prosperity, we know that we want to provide relief to the business economy here in South Australia, and the proof is in the information contained in these fantastic surveys which show that business confidence is on the rise with a new government.

Time expired.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I call the following members to order: the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister for Education, the member for Cheltenham, the member for Lee and the member for Playford. The Leader of the Opposition.