State Budget Advertising Campaign

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:06): My question is to the Premier. Will the new advertising campaign for his budget tell South Australians how much interest the budget forecasts will be paid on the state government's $21 billion debt?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:06): I think what the advertising is doing—the limited, modest advertising that we are doing—is promoting the various elements of the budget, the expenditure being made to build productive infrastructure in South Australia and the investments being made in health and education facilities, which the Leader of the Opposition, based upon his budget reply speech today, would stop if he got into government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: He has made it very clear to the parliament today that he does not believe that the South Australian government should be going into any more debt. In fact, he has been railing against increased debt in South Australia. What he failed to do in his budget reply speech, though, was point out all those capital projects, those important capital projects that we have outlined, that he would cut. We are looking forward to him standing up and making it clear to the people of South Australia which hospital projects he would stop—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —which projects in country South Australia, important road projects, he would stop and what he will do—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order, Premier.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: The point of order from the Father of the House is for debate. I believe that the question was about whether an advertising program by the state government will tell South Australians how much interest is in the budget. That is how I caught it. I have allowed the Premier some latitude, and he is finished. Before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I call to order the following members: the member for Badcoe and the leader, and the member for Ramsay is warned.