Cost Reductions

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:28): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government is lowering costs for South Australians?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:28): Today is, of course, the first day of the new financial year, 1 July, and the first of a very happy period for the people of South Australia as we again—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —go back and fulfil the obligation, the promise, that we made to the people of South Australia to lower costs. What we had over 16 years previously was the previous government with their hand in the pockets of hardworking South Australians—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —small businesses, primary producers and larger businesses that provide employment here in this state. Enough is enough. When we were elected, we made it very clear that we would focus on addressing all of those issues, which led to higher costs, whether they be for families or for individuals or for small business in South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I was very proud to lead a government that removed payroll tax—

Mr Picton interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Kaurna!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —for all small business in South Australia. This is a very important sector of our economy and one that was completely ignored before we came to government.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Another sector that was not just ignored but stolen from was families who had to endure the rort, the water pricing rort perpetrated on the people of South Australia by those shameless individuals opposite, who artificially inflated the asset base of SA Water—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —with one objective in mind: to put more money in their pockets and to take more money—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —out of the pockets of the people of South Australia. Again, enough is enough. When we came to government—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —we had an independent inquiry into what the real value of the regulated asset base was here in South Australia. What we found from that inquiry was that there had been shameless artificial inflation of the regulated asset base in South Australia by the former government, and that is the issue that we addressed. I am very proud to lead a government that is now addressing that rort. As of today, water prices will go down. This is welcome news to every individual, every family and every business in this state. The average water consumer in South Australia will have an annual water saving—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Cheltenham!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —of $200 per year; the average business in South Australia, $1,350. I have been stopped in the street when people, with great joyfulness and thankfulness, have said, 'My water bill is going down.' Some people have said it's between 10 per cent and 20 per cent. Rather than the increase after increase—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —we saw under the former hopeless government, we are now seeing those costs go down. It's not before time because we have a mighty battle on our hands—a battle with a coronavirus. We have been dealing with these dual crises in South Australia: a health crisis and also an economic crisis. Fifty thousand jobs have been lost in South Australia since March of this year, and that is exactly and precisely why we must do everything we can while we are in government to lower costs for households, so they are spending more money in the economy, and lower the costs for small business—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Lee!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and larger business in South Australia so they can become more competitive. We absolutely dedicate ourselves every day that we are on the treasury bench to put the people of South Australia first—unlike those opposite.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for West Torrens, I have to announce that I am not going to tolerate that level of interjections any further. There was a cacophony of noise during the Premier's contribution, so consequently I call to order the following members: the Minister for Education; the member for Playford; the member for Lee, and he is warned; the member for Badcoe, and she is warned; the member for Kaurna, and he is warned; the Deputy Premier; and the members for Hurtle Vale, Reynell, Cheltenham, Torrens and Kavel.