Land Tax

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:52): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier confirm that the entire Liberal party room unequivocally supports his latest land tax measures?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:52): I am very grateful to the member for Lee for providing me with this opportunity to again talk about our reform, a reform which has been called for for a long period of time.

Members interjecting:

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

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: These are contentious issues; nobody is saying these aren't contentious issues, but we resolved unanimously to introduce the legislation into the parliament in October this year. We do that—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We resolved unanimously—

Members interjecting:

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

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —to go to public consultation. That public consultation will finish—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —on 2 October and ultimately to introduce that legislation into the parliament in October this year. We do that because we genuinely want to push through these very significant tax cuts in time for the start of the next financial year on 1 July next year.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's not without its complexity. Other lesser governments—I won't reflect on anybody in particular, but take it as you will—would just be kicking this can down the road. They would say, 'This is a bit tough, so we will just sweep it under the carpet.' Let me tell you, South Australia has been suffering because of a lack of courage—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —at the leadership level for 16 years of Labor. They didn't actually create an environment which was attracting business investment into South Australia. In fact, they created a business environment, a taxation arrangement, which was driving South Australian investment—

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —out of our state into cheaper jurisdictions. This makes no sense whatsoever, and now those opposite want to defend the status quo. That is outrageous. That is absolutely outrageous. What we have made very clear is that 92 per cent of individual investors will benefit from the land tax—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —package that we are putting forward, and 75 per cent of company groups will benefit from what we are putting forward. We are absolutely determined every day that we are in office—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —to improve business conditions in our state, and we owe our next generation.

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: And I look up to the public gallery today and I see some students here. I am not sure which school they are from.

An honourable member: The Eudunda Area School.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The Eudunda Area School. We say welcome to the students of the Eudunda Area School, and it reminds us—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Pay the land tax!

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

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

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

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

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Unlike those opposite, we aren't making cheap quips at people, residents, citizens of South Australia who come in to look at the way that we are operating. In fact, we welcome people to the public gallery, and they remind us—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader, be quiet.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —of our obligation to the next generation to create more jobs, because for too long in South Australia so many of our young people would finish school or finish university, get a good qualification and then leave South Australia and move interstate to get a job. Well, that has got to change, and every day that we are on the treasury bench—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —we are going to be advancing reform, whether it is easy or not—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —but reform that will move our state forward, create jobs and keep our next generation here in our state.