Question Time

Job Creation

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:11): My question, again, is to the Minister for Innovation and Skills. Why does the government's budget forecast jobs growth to continue to fall since the 2017-18 financial year?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Innovation and Skills) (14:11): Isn't it extraordinary how, after the wreck that the opposition left this state in after 16 years, they are standing there throwing stones from the sideline.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left, you wanted him to answer. He is trying to answer.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Let's look at the record here in South Australia: from March 2018 to July this year, 15,700 brand-new jobs here in South Australia—8,200 of them full-time. Let's contrast that to the same period—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —of the re-election of the Weatherill government. When the Weatherill government was given the mandate, jobs growth was 5,400 jobs—

Mr Szakacs interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Cheltenham!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —one-third of the jobs delivered by the newly-elected—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —Marshall government over the same period.

Mr Szakacs interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Cheltenham is warned.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: How many full-time jobs did Labor deliver in that same period? Minus 2,500.

The Hon. S.S. Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier is called to order.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: The economy was so fragile—

The Hon. S.S. Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier is called to order.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —people were shedding full-time staff like there was no tomorrow. The good news about what has happened since the election is that businesses have regained their confidence. They are hiring full-time staff because they know their future in business has a long-term future. They are prepared to invest in full-time staff because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —they have long-term plans for their businesses—something they weren't prepared to do under Labor. Let's look at Labor's record. They talk about a blip in the seasonally adjusted unemployment figures, one month on the unreliable seasonally adjusted unemployment figures. This is what Labor—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —delivered for the first three years of their re-election—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left!

Mr Odenwalder interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Elizabeth is warned!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —in 2014. They delivered the highest, or the second highest, unemployment rate in the country for three years, and what else has been good news for South Australia? If you can compare the hours worked in 2019 in South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —2.9 million more—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —than in March, the last month that Labor was in control of this state, there were 2.9 million more hours worked in South Australia, delivering $103 million in extra wages to South Australians, who are spending it in this economy. They are spending in this economy. This is a snowball effect, and why is that happening? Because there's confidence back in the economy. Businesses have confidence back.

People are seeing their mates getting jobs and they're saying, 'Well, I'm going to have a go now.' There are jobs that are being delivered by this government. That's why they're getting back into the workforce. That's why the participation rate is going up. We have a lot more work to do. We can see that, we know that, we are up for it, and that's exactly what we are doing.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Morphett, I respectfully ask the member for Cheltenham to leave for 20 minutes under 137A for those constant interjections during that answer. Thank you, member for Cheltenham.

The honourable member for Cheltenham having withdrawn from the chamber: