Housing Trust Rent

Ms COOK (Hurtle Vale) (14:19): My question is to the Premier.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education is called to order.

Ms COOK: Put your little hands away. My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier explain to Tim, a Housing Trust tenant from Naracoorte, how he is expected to pay for the government's rent increases? With your leave and that of the house, sir, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Ms COOK: Tim is a Housing Trust tenant living on the Disability Support Pension. He regularly goes without food and medicine now, just to get by. Tim is incredibly frustrated that he already abstains from family events and medical appointments, as he can't justify the travel expenses over buying food. An increase in Tim's Housing Trust rent will mean that Tim has to forgo necessities and social opportunities, just to make ends meet.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:20): I thank the member for her question. As I answered in the first answer, and the deputy leader added in her answer, these are regrettable increases, but they are a requirement because of the mess that we were left by the previous government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! Premier, please be seated for one moment. I call to order, again, the Leader of the Opposition. The member for West Torrens, I forgot to remind, is on two warnings, as is the member for Reynell. I will not tolerate intermittent, consistent interjecting while members are trying to have a go at these answers. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you. This is a responsible budget that was brought down after many years of neglect not only in terms of fiscal focus in this government, where they tried to kid the people of South Australia over an extended period of time that they had actually brought the budget back into surplus, but the reality was that they were flogging off assets left, right and centre.

What we have tried to do is bring the budget back into a balanced situation and, yes, there are some tough decisions. There are definitely some tough decisions in this budget. We regret every single one of them, but the reality is that we will be bringing the budget back into a balanced situation. That was the commitment that we made in the lead-up to the election, and that's what we will be implementing.

On the flipside of this question, though, the member for Hurtle Vale needs to understand that the new government will be doing everything they can to reduce the cost-of-living pressure on every single person in South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: And we will be working very hard to do that. We took a very positive policy in terms of energy to the people of South Australia. They voted for change at the election. Our excellent policy will be implemented—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Our policy will be implemented, and it will put downward pressure on electricity prices—unlike those opposite. I didn't hear one word from the member for Hurtle Vale about the problems in her electorate, where people couldn't pay their bills because of the deliberate destructive policies of her own team. Where was the member for Hurtle Vale saying, 'I'll tell you what—

Ms Cook: I was doorknocking Housing Trust houses.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I will tell you what, I did not hear the member for Hurtle Vale talking about in this chamber.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: In all my time, sitting in the chamber with the member for Hurtle Vale, I did not hear her say, 'I want to stand up today for the people of Hurtle Vale who are doing it tough because of the deliberate, hopeless attitude of the previous government towards energy prices, towards water prices.' In fact, I will tell you what she asked yesterday. She asked a question yesterday, Mr Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Please bring it back to the substance of the question, Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —which was a question about the cost of living for the person that she is advocating for today. She asked a question in the parliament yesterday about the new Liberal government's policy towards supporting the many tens of thousands of volunteers in South Australia, and the excellent policy that we took to the election to provide a cost-of-living relief to those people who put volunteer hours in. In fact, she quite incorrectly pointed out that we hadn't delivered on our policy. Well, let me tell you, I took a look at the budget papers. I think it's $670,000 that has gone into the budget for this current financial year to provide that relief to our volunteers, like the members in Hurtle Vale—

Ms COOK: Point of order, sir: I believe that he is straying again from the point of the question. I don't believe Tim is a volunteer.

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order. It is for debate. I believe the Premier is winding up.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The question was very clear in my mind. Maybe it wasn't clear in the mind of the person who was asking it. She said, 'What would you say to this person?'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Well, I'm saying that we have been left with a mess by the previous government. I have said that we are going to work hard to put cost-of-living pressures as a very important part of this government and we are going to put downward pressure on electricity prices. We have a water price inquiry in South Australia. As for those people in Hurtle Vale who volunteer, they won't have to pay the $59 fee that the previous government imposed upon them. They will get that screening check free.