Land Tax Forum

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): My question is to the Premier. What does the Premier have to say to Mr Louis Stevens, who told the land tax forum yesterday evening amongst concerned South Australians in the seat of Hartley that the government's land tax policy will force him to sell all his holdings and consider having to move interstate?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order that's been raised by the Minister for Education. I anticipate it is for argument. I'm afraid, leader, that the way that question is phrased does breach the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Ministers on my right are interjecting while I am deliberating on a finding. Would ministers like to leave, or how are we going to do this? Leader, I will give you one opportunity to rephrase, as I have tried to do from time to time for members on both sides, trying to be as impartial as possible. I will give you another crack at it. If not, I will move to the member for Kavel.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Is the Premier concerned at the representations made by people like Mr Louis Stevens that the government's land tax policy would force him to sell all his holdings and move interstate?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order. That one is a bit better. I am prepared to enable the Premier an opportunity to respond. Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:17): Thank you very much, sir. As you would be more than aware, I don't have the details of the constituent and the issues that he has raised. The Leader of the Opposition could have sought leave to introduce facts so that we could have actually considered them, but of course—

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, sir: the Premier is now reflecting on your ruling to allow that question—

The SPEAKER: No, I don't believe he is, member for Lee. It's on the cusp. You have to call it as you see it. I will give the member for Lee the benefit of the doubt, but I don't believe the Premier was reflecting on my ruling and, if he did, I would be the first to do something about it. But, thank you, member for Lee. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Mr Speaker, let's be very clear what I was doing. The Leader of the Opposition is asking me to provide advice on a constituent. He has provided me with no facts. That's got nothing to do with your ruling. That's a statement of fact.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: But I don't know the particular circumstances because the Leader of the Opposition sought not to introduce the facts to question time today because his side of this chamber—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I'm listening.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —have been involved in a petty argument for a long period of time, and they are disadvantaging themselves and the constituents that they purport to represent by continuing with this childish, petty position. Regardless of that—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: You're a child.

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens, I'm not a child.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: No, you're not, sir.

The SPEAKER: No. You are called to order and warned. Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Regardless of that, I am happy to answer in general terms that our reform is the largest land tax reform in the history of this state. It's the largest land tax cut in the—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is now warned for a second time.

Mr Malinauskas: It's a land tax increase. The budget increases land tax.

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's the largest land tax cut in—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's the largest land tax cut in the history of South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader, if you keep interjecting at this rate you will be departing today. I am giving you notice. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It is very difficult to understand, sir—

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —the financial acumen or otherwise of those opposite, because it is very clear that there are three very significant—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Elizabeth is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: There are three very significant reforms being put in place: aggregation, an increase in the threshold and, of course, a reduction in the top marginal rate from 3.7 per cent—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —down to 2.4 per cent. Those three things combined offer the largest land tax cut in the history of this state. It is now shown—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Kaurna is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —by the Treasurer, a $70 million reduction in land tax receipts over the next three years—a $70 million reduction from 1 July. And the only thing that is standing in the way of this massive reform, which is going to drive down the cost for 92 per cent of individuals—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —is the Leader of the Opposition forming an opinion as to whose side he is standing on.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Well, we know exactly and precisely whose side we are standing on.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Ramsay is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We are standing on the side of the 92 per cent of individuals who will benefit from our land tax cuts, the 75 per cent of corporate groups who will benefit from the reforms that we are putting forward—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and the economy that will continue to grow under these Liberal reforms, these important Liberal reforms that those opposite are just not up to, they don't have the ticker for. They don't have the stomach for reform. They want to go out and cherrypick individual cases—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —rather than look at what is in the best interests of this state, and that is exactly—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and precisely why those opposite are on the opposition bench.