House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time State Budget Advertising Campaign State Budget Advertising Campaign Mr MALINAUSKAS House of Assembly Croydon Leader of the Opposition State Budget Advertising Campaign Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:31): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier's new advertising campaign on the state budget include information regarding the $6.8 million in new taxes on the state's mining industry? The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Premier State Budget Advertising Campaign The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:31): I am going to refer the specifics of that question to the previous answers I have provided, but I have further information to provide to the house. The Leader of the Opposition is constantly asking questions about and is interested in the advertising budget, so I asked my office— Mr Malinauskas interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —to do a quick comparison of the first nine months of this year compared with the same period when the Labor Party was last in office. Mr Hughes House of Assembly Mr Hughes: That was not the question. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Giles is warned. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I have been advised that there is actually a $7.5 million reduction under this government compared to those opposite. That is important for the budget— The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: One moment, Premier; please be seated. The point of order is for debate— The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Debate, sir. The question wasn't about— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: You have asked about an advertising campaign. The Premier is talking about the advertising campaign and relating it to the former government. However, I agree that the $6.8 million context has not come up yet, but I will be listening carefully to ensure that he returns to the substance of the question. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I don't have details of this specific advertising campaign as it relates to the element the Leader of the Opposition asked about, but there is a $7.5 million reduction in advertising expenditure if we take a comparable period, the last nine months versus the last nine months of the previous government. That is important because it means that we as a government can put that $7.5 million saving in advertising into important services for the people of South Australia. Mr Malinauskas House of Assembly Mr Malinauskas: To pay off the $20 billion debt. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The leader is warned. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I think everybody appreciates that there has been a $2.3 billion writedown in revenue coming into the state coffers. This is a particularly tough period for our state, and that is why it is important that when we spend money we spend it in a prudent way, and a $7.5 million saving to the budget in terms of advertising expenditure, Liberal versus Labor, is a very important saving to make.