Question Time

Land Tax

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:19): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier accept the Treasurer's statement today that the government has no information on how many South Australians will be affected by the aggregation of property interests for land tax purposes?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order—

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for a breach of section 97 or commentary?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: As I see it, he didn't seek leave to introduce information.

The SPEAKER: I respectfully uphold that; however, what I will do is, per my very generous practice, allow the member for Lee to rephrase.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir: those facts were introduced by the Treasurer in the public realm. They are not new facts to the house.

The SPEAKER: If the member for Lee has evidence of that, I am willing to look at it. I also warn him. Since we have to address this here and now, I want the member for Lee to slightly rephrase the question.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier accept that the government has no information on how many South Australians will be affected by the aggregation of property interests for land tax purposes?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:20): What I have been advised is that 92 per cent of all individuals, which equates—and I have some more information to provide to the house, which is that 47,800 individuals will be better off. These are the people that you're not sure whether you want to support yet: 47,800 individuals currently paying—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The deputy leader is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —land tax will be better off. I am also advised that 7,900 company groups in South Australia will be better off, which represents 75 per cent of all company groups—

The Hon. A. Piccolo: And you don't know what your Treasurer is saying? You haven't been advised?

The SPEAKER: Member for Light!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —are paying land tax in South Australia. So these are very large numbers. We know whose side we are on with this debate. We are on the side of the vast majority of people who will end up better off in South Australia. It is not just the individual land tax. It is not just the—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader! You're on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Of course, it's not just those 47,800 individual investors and the 7,900 company groups who will end up better off by our proposed land tax changes but also the economy and jobs in South Australia. If you think about why we're doing this, why are we doing this?

Mr Malinauskas: Because you stumbled into it.

The SPEAKER: The leader can leave for 20 minutes under 137A.

The honourable member for Croydon having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. A. Piccolo: You don't know why you're doing it.

The SPEAKER: The member for Light is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We know exactly and precisely why we are doing this.

The Hon. A. Piccolo: No, you don't. You have had three attempts at it.

The SPEAKER: The member for Light is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We are trying to create a more effective and attractive environment in which people can invest, and the current system is not fair. So far we haven't heard anything from those opposite that would suggest—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Our view is debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: —debate. I have allowed, per past practice to be consistent, some compare and contrast to a point. If the Premier deviates beyond a point, I am willing to tolerate, I will rein him into line.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We know exactly and precisely why we're pushing ahead with this reform, this complex reform: because it needs to be done to create a more fair system in South Australia, to encourage more investment into South Australia, to create more jobs. I won't reflect on those opposite, but there are opponents to what we're doing, but those opponents are yet to explain to the people how somebody that has $20 million or $30 million worth of property, and land in particular, is paying no land tax while somebody else is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in land tax.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: This is inequitable, and we're not prepared to continue with this situation. What we're putting forward is considered, after looking at every other jurisdiction in the country. It is designed unequivocally to bring more money into this state. When we're sitting at 3.7 and New South Wales is at 2, that is a disincentive for people to invest in the South Australian economy. That is what we are seeking to rectify. What we're doing, going from 3.7 down to 2.4, which is the average of the mainland states of Australia, is creating a more attractive environment for investment to flourish. We're taking the handbrake off the South Australian economy.

We fully appreciate that there are those who are opposed to it. We're also fully aware that there are those who just want to frustrate the process, those that know that we need reform, those that have considered that reform before but shied away because of the complexity. Well, we're not. We're putting the people of South Australia first.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Police and the member for West Torrens will cease this verbal sparring.