Business Confidence

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:44): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier believe that the additional $90 million in higher motor vehicle administration fees to be raised improves or damages business confidence in South Australia?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:44): We are now being confronted with a range of issues, all asking essentially the same question: what are the—

The Hon. Z.L. Bettison: Fees and charges.

The SPEAKER: The member for Ramsay is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —contributors to the current range and, if you like, spread of survey results that exist in South Australia? I provided a comprehensive answer to that. It's difficult to go over and over these points with an opposition that is clearly not interested in listening. The reality is that, whether you like it or not, we are operating within a national and a global environment that is experiencing a higher level of volatility. This translates into risk and this means that there are consequences of this.

I note that the Reserve Bank Governor provided a reduction of 75 basis points in the official interest rate in just the last four or five months, and that is being done not because of issues in South Australia to do with land tax rates and solid waste levies; it's actually to do with the response to what is occurring globally. I would have thought that those opposite, wanting to present themselves as an alternative government in South Australia, may just expose themselves to exactly what is going on in Australia and globally at the moment, and inform their policy development in terms of the response to what is going on in Australia.

That is what we are doing on this side of the chamber and that is why we remain completely resolute in our position to pursue further cuts to tax in South Australia. That is why we remain resolute that we will continue to invest in skills development, whether that be through more than $100 million going back into the TAFE budget, $200 million going back into the skills budget in South Australia or our record investment in infrastructure. We have already canvassed a range of programs that we are putting in place—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: What, in three years?

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

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —to try to turn around the situation that we have experienced—the unacceptable situation that we have experienced—in recent times with regard to exports, but there are some very good green shoots and we are making sure that we are investing to capitalise on the global opportunities that exist. There are plenty of things that are going in the right direction in South Australia.

At the moment, when you drive towards North Adelaide you can see construction is underway at Adelaide Oval. There are 450 construction jobs currently on that site, which will lead to 120 ongoing jobs on that site, and that is a positive outcome. There are 250 full-time jobs currently in place for the completion of the Gawler line electrification, a project that those opposite were unable to deliver in the 16 years that they were in government.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order: the question was about higher motor vehicle administration fees.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for debate. With respect to the Premier, he is beginning to deviate. I think he may have finished his answer. He has finished his answer, so I will move to the member for Kavel and come back to the member for Lee.