Question Time

Unemployment Figures

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:03): My question is to the Premier. Why does South Australia have the worst unemployment rate in the nation?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:03): The employment figures are out today, and they are very sobering for South Australia, for Australia and, in fact, globally. We have lost 40,000 jobs in South Australia since the outbreak of the coronavirus. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost nationally and millions of jobs internationally.

The statistics that were out today of course refer to an earlier period. We are seeing some green shoots of improved consumer confidence and business confidence. Obviously, since the road map back to a COVID-safe environment was announced by the Prime Minister last week, we have already seen some further green shoots in terms of business and consumer confidence, but I think we have to be very realistic about this. We are in unprecedented economic times.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Australia has done particularly well with regard to tackling the health crisis, but we are now in the midst of a very serious economic crisis in Australia and here in South Australia. That's one of the reasons why we are doing everything we can to support businesses through this period: $1 billion with our support and stimulus package, which compares very favourably with other jurisdictions around the country and extraordinarily favourably compared with other cities, countries and jurisdictions around the world.

We are working very hard. Only a few moments ago, I held a press conference that highlighted the work we are doing to redevelop the Repat site. The Public Works Committee met today—a very hardworking committee—and it has authorised the continuation of stage 2 of that project. It's a $60 million investment, and that work down at the Repat site will be in the order of $60 million, beginning in July of this year, and will provide improved facilities for brain injury rehabilitation, spinal injury rehabilitation, a veterans' wellbeing centre and other facilities.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: There is $60 million going into that facility. I know that there are many people—

Mr Malinauskas: Why do we have the worst unemployment rate?

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in South Australia who are going to be very happy with that improvement, but of course it will create jobs as well. We are continuing to work very hard. We don't find the current level of unemployment acceptable in South Australia, and of course it's not just unemployment—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —but it's also underemployment. Many people who might remain employed have lost more jobs and this is really concerning. It is absolutely concerning, and it's concerning to every single person in this parliament. I'm sure I speak on behalf of all members of this parliament when I say that we want to be doing everything we possibly can to get our economy moving in the right direction, but one of the things that we can't do—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —is compromise the health situation. In fact, business is saying to us, 'Yes, we want to get back to work.' But what we also need to do is to make sure that we don't lift restrictions and then have a massive blowout in terms of the number of new cases, only to have those restrictions put back in place again. That would be an absolute disaster, so we have been very, very keen—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —to make sure that we return to the COVID-safe environment in July, as agreed by all the state and territory leaders around Australia, but do it in a way that is going to be sustainable over the longer term.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I call to order and warn for the first time the Minister for Education; he's been doing it all day. I also call to order the members for West Torrens, Kaurna, Lee, Badcoe, Hurtle Vale and Ramsay, and the member for Kaurna is warned.