House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Question Time Employment Figures Employment Figures Mr MALINAUSKAS House of Assembly Croydon Leader of the Opposition Employment Figures Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier explain why South Australia's employment growth rate since the election in March 2018 is lower than all other states bar Tasmania? The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Premier Employment Figures The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:22): I'm happy to put your last five years up against my first year. This is an opposition which love to find— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: You mean the Leader of the Opposition. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —the narrow slithers of statistics to try to mount their argument. The reality is— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! We have the question. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —that South Australia is working hard to clean up the mess that we inherited from those opposite. Over 16 years, we saw unemployment trending up and up and up and up against what was happening on a national basis. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: This is the important point to make. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Leader! The member for Wright is warned. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: When we look at the massively high employment growth rate that we saw right across the rest of Australia, South Australia was the state that was going against the trend under those opposite. Now, of course, we are seeing statistics where South Australia is continuing to go against the trend. When there is a slowing in the Australian economy, there is actually an increase in the — Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —South Australian economy, yet still they want to complain. They still want to say, 'We had one week in the sun.' Ms Cook interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is warned. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The reality is that, if you look at the statistics of your 16 years in government, you should all hang your heads in shame. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition. The Hon. S.S. Marshall House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. Marshall: I saw the member for Lee get up. It's not your turn yet. It might come as a surprise, but it's not your time yet. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Premier is called to order. I bet this doesn't happen in Queensland. Leader of the Opposition.