Salisbury, Mr S.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (15:00): My question is to the Premier. Why did the government claim builder Scott Salisbury supported the government's proposed land tax package?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (15:00): Let's be very clear—

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —there are a range of issues and positions that have been put forward by people from right across South Australia. I have not spoken with Scott Salisbury myself—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and I think we are now clear that Scott Salisbury has differing opinions from the government on this issue. I think that has been made abundantly clear. But, again, regardless of Mr Salisbury's position, our position on this side of the house is resolute: we are standing for the people who will very significantly benefit from the land tax cuts that we are putting in place.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We believe that 92 per cent of individuals currently paying land tax will be better off under our reforms.

Mr Boyer interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright can leave for the remainder of question time under 137A.

The honourable member for Wright having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: In fact, thousands and thousands of South Australians who are currently paying land tax under the punishing regime presided over by those opposite will no longer pay any land tax in South Australia—thousands and thousands of South Australians.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, leader! Quiet!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: One of the fundamental things that we are doing as part of this reform is to increase the threshold, from $391,000—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Some people are getting increasingly agitated—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and sometimes people want to substitute—

The Hon. Z.L. Bettison interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Ramsay, be quiet. Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —frustration for actually having a position on something. But there's no substitute for forming an opinion, backing the people of South Australia. We know exactly who we are backing—92 per cent of individuals. Seventy-five per cent of company groups are going to be better off. And they hate reform—they hate reform in South Australia. They have been presiding over a mess, a train wreck, in terms of the economy. That's 16 years.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens will not use props.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: That's 16 years—16 years, massive problems. They were crushing the confidence of every person in this state, destroying the narrative nationally—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens can leave for the remainder of question time for using a prop.

The honourable member for West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and we won't stand for it. We won't stand for it. We are working every single day to grow our economy, and that means lower taxes in South Australia, that means lower payroll tax in South Australia, lower emergency services in South Australia and, of course, lower land tax. Land tax being so high has had a major handbrake on the South Australian economy. Some people are happy to persist with that handbrake. Some people—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's almost as if they don't want South Australia to move forward. They don't want young people to get jobs in South Australia. They hate the fact that there have been 5,000 jobs created in the last six months in South Australia—5,000 jobs—and that is something to celebrate in this state. The only reason that these jobs have been created is that businesses and individuals in South Australia are feeling more confident in this state and, when businesses feel more confident and individuals feel more confident, employment rises, and they hate it—they absolutely hate it.

We are now just a smidge off the highest participation rate in the history of this state, and we won't rest until we smash the all-time record of participation rate in South Australia. That means we've got to push ahead with important reforms, and that is precisely what we're up for.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Heysen is called to order. The member for Lee and then the member for Heysen.