State Budget

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:13): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier explain why under his budget the employment growth rate will more than halve, from 2.1 per cent in 2017-18 to 1 per cent in only two years?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has the call. He will be heard in silence, please.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:14): Thank you very much. It's a very important question, the question of job creation in South Australia. As I outlined in my previous answer, the new government will be doing everything that we possibly can to effect more jobs here in South Australia.

Historically and until extraordinarily recently, when there has been a change in government and a new confidence in South Australia, our state has lagged behind the national job creation rate—statement of fact! I know they hate facts on that side of the house, but it is a statement of fact. For virtually the entire time, the very long and tedious time that they were in government, we lagged behind the national average job creation rate.

Now, since January, there has been a massive uplift in community sentiment here. In fact, every single published poll has not only said that confidence has gone up—consumer confidence, business confidence has gone up—

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order from the member for Lee.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Thank you. It's debate. This was about the employment growth figures, not about confidence.

The SPEAKER: Employment growth rate.

An honourable member: That's what he was talking about.

The SPEAKER: If I am allowed to rule on the point of order, I believe that the Premier is providing some economic background that is related to such a rate. I will listen carefully. Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you very much, sir. I find it incredible that when we are talking about future job creation in South Australia that the member for Lee, who is—

The SPEAKER: Please come back to the question, Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Well, we are talking about job creation rates in South Australia, sir. A fundamental direct influence on the creation of new jobs in South Australia is business confidence. If those opposite want to tell us—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —that somehow there is a sort of an inverse relationship, I don't know—business confidence goes down, jobs go up. I don't know how your mind works. I don't know how—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I don't who is doing their economic modelling, sir. I don't know who is doing it. It might be Kevin Naughton. It could be somebody who is advising them who has some new model that has been lost on the rest of the economic world, but what we know on this side of the house is that when business confidence improves then people go out and employ more people, but more than that, what we want to do to increase the job rate—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in South Australia, what we want to do to increase the rate of job creation in South Australia is to provide some incentive for the business community. That is why we are lowering their costs. That is why we are supporting them with a comprehensive skills development program, which has been sorely missing in South Australia for an extended period of time. That is why, sir, and I know that you will appreciate this because you are out in your electorate working hard, like many of the members in this house do—certainly on this side of the house.

But when we talk to people about job creation, do you know what they always say? 'There's too much red tape in South Australia.' Well, of course there's too much red tape; we have had Labor in power for 16 years. That is why we have worked very hard to put forward positive policies to reduce red tape and burden on the private sector in South Australia so that we can create more jobs here in South Australia. That is why we were very disappointed on this side of the house—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —while we have been focused on improving the job creation rate referred to by the honourable member on the other side—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! You have asked the question.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —of the house, we were very disappointed that they didn't support our very positive policy to create—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —a productivity commission for South Australia. This is very sensible policy. It is like those opposite are arguing against—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —red tape reduction in South Australia.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, the Premier is reflecting on a vote of the house.

The SPEAKER: He is reflecting upon a vote of the house.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order on the point of order.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Sir, I believe that the Premier was talking about Labor's position on a matter, not on a vote of the house.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order on the point of order. I believe the Premier is winding up.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Well, sir, there is nothing more important to the new government than creating more jobs in South Australia. Those opposite had 16 years to put in place all their policies related to job creation. Guess what? They failed. We will not fail. We will back those people who put their assets, their businesses on the line—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —to create jobs in South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —because we want to get this state moving.

The SPEAKER: The Premier's time has expired. I call to order and I warn the member for Lee and the member for Playford for a first time. The member for Narungga has been patiently waiting and has the call.