Grievance Debate

Election Commitments

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (15:38): I rise to speak about how those opposite are travelling—slowly, it seems—with achieving their big pre-election promises to South Australians of lower costs and better services, about their upcoming budget, which will also be a measure of their performance against that pre-election mantra, and their huge hike in fees, which directly contradict their phony lower cost promise, a slogan that obviously fits well onto a corflute or a DL that we now know is bereft of any substance whatsoever. Less than a year ago, the Treasurer said, in relation to his budget characterised by cuts, closures and privatisation:

This budget will reduce the cost of living for struggling families by cutting…taxes and charges.

Reducing the cost of living for struggling families certainly fits with the mantra—not their reality of lower costs—and is a fine aim to have. As inequality grows here in SA, as wages growth stalls, we should aim to lower the cost of living for those who are doing it tough.

Unfortunately, those opposite have shown through last year's budget, and through their deep passion for increasing fees, charges and taxes on everything, that they have no care for how South Australian families, including those who are struggling, will meet the cost of living. Their nasty fee increases do not discriminate. They are indeed one of this government's best examples of inclusion. There is a little something and sometimes a big something for everyone, with everyone sharing the pain.

Their higher charges for car parking will greatly impact both staff and the general public when they park at our SA metro hospitals to go to work, visit a loved one or for their own treatment. Staff negatively impacted include nurses, doctors and allied health professionals, and also deeply hurt are cleaners, orderlies, catering attendants and admin staff.

A hospital cleaner working 25 hours per week earns just $570 take-home pay, and through some pretty tight budgeting they pay their rent or mortgage, feed their family, meet the cost of utilities and get their kids to school. These workers will now be slugged an additional $13.95 per week to park at work—$27.91 per fortnight or $725.66 per year. Those workers who pay $561 per year to park at work will now pay $1,287 to do so. These workers are very unhappy about this and would like to say to this government, 'Don't park your problems with us.'

This is a horrific increase in costs for some of the lowest paid workers who rely on their government to lower, not increase, the cost of living, an increase that is completely discordant with their utterly meaningless 'lower costs' election promise, an increase that sits alongside their cruel cash grab for $31 a year—not a week—scheduled pay increase for public servants. I can just hear the Premier and those opposite advising that, if it is all just too hard, let them catch the bus, but these are of course also the workers who will be hardest hit by this government's cuts to public transport because, if they do not drive their cars, they are the ones who will need to use those bus routes that this government has ruthlessly slashed early in the morning and very late at night.

The general public will of course also be included when they are slugged by this parking increase, with fees rising by over 20 per cent in most hospitals, and the general public, when not suffering higher costs associated with visiting a loved one, is expected to bear a raft of other increases: car rego will be up by 5 per cent, admin fees by 42.8 per cent, driver's licences by 4.5 per cent, admin fees by 17.6 per cent and, if you are a tradie, you will be hit with a 10 per cent increase in contractor licence and registration fees.

Lower costs they said, better services they said. ‘Lower costs’ and ‘better services’ they indeed plastered everywhere—a deeply misleading, untruthful promise from a government incapable of empathising with South Australian people trying to make ends meet. It is pretty easy to forget about them, I guess, when you are in cosy comfort at the Palazzo Versace listening to the dulcet tones of 'The Mooch'.

I fervently hope that the Treasurer with ice in his veins might melt some of that ice with a shred of compassion ahead of next fortnight's budget, but, as with the hopes of many South Australians, I fear that my hopes for them may be dashed.