Question Time

Business Confidence

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier take any responsibility for driving business confidence in South Australia to its lowest level on record?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:08): I am interested in the questions that are coming from the opposition already, always wanting to talk down this state, not looking at a range of surveys that are out for the people of South Australia and Australia to reflect on at the moment.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We didn't get any questions from those opposite when the same surveys showed that we had the highest business confidence in the entire nation. What have they done since that time?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They have opposed tax cuts in South Australia. They have opposed deregulation of shop trading hours in South Australia. They have opposed our record infrastructure spend in South Australia—every single thing that they can do, not only from when they were in government but now in opposition, to put a handbrake on our economy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Can I say—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right and left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —I was delighted to read the NAB survey today, which showed that South Australia's business confidence remains in positive territory. They hate that: they love cherrypicking different survey results. They love cherrypicking—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —individual survey results. They can't stand the fact that a government was elected that is putting the people of—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —South Australia first, thriving investment in South Australia with record employment in this state—record employment in this state. That is what happens from a government which is focused on growing the economy. I am the first one to admit that there are plenty of surveys out there. Some deal with individual sectors and individual members of an association. Some are done on a national basis.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: When we look at October, the most recent survey results taken nationally by the National Australia Bank, what do they show? Well, it is very inconvenient for those opposite—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —because South Australia's business confidence remains in positive territory. In fact, for the month of October, business conditions—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —improved in South Australia. They hate that. They love talking down the state. We are not going to be diverted at all. We are focused on growing our economy, creating a better opportunity for our next generation, investing in production and infrastructure, creating more jobs in South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and, importantly, providing the skilled workforce that we need in this state to capitalise on the great opportunities that lie out there, and there are plenty of them. I certainly want to take this opportunity to congratulate my good friend the Minister for Innovation and Skills, who has done a sterling job on fixing up the mess, the catastrophe, that we were delivered by those opposite, and you all know who you are. The reality is terrible conditions in TAFE—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —terrible conditions in terms of apprentices, terrible conditions in terms of trainees. Nineteen months in, we are confronted with statistics that show a massive improvement in the number of people in South Australia undertaking an apprenticeship or a traineeship—in fact, a 28.8 per cent increase in a 12-month period. That does not happen by talking down the state. That happens by rolling up your sleeves, doing the work that is required, investing in TAFE, investing in skills, and that is the policy of this government.