Unemployment Figures

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:06): My question is to the Premier. Having delivered the unenviable status of having the worst unemployment rate in the nation, does the Premier now regret closing nearly 29 job creation programs?

Members interjecting:

Mr MALINAUSKAS: I am happy to repeat the question.

The SPEAKER: The leader might repeat the question.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: My question is to the Premier. Having delivered the state the worst unemployment rate in the nation, does the Premier now regret closing 29 job-creating programs in the 2018-19 state budget?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:07): All I can say is that South Australia has done extraordinarily well working together to get through a very tough year. Coronavirus has basically kicked the entire global economy in the guts. South Australia has stood up. It has had a government that has backed it since day one—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —with $4 billion worth of stimulus and support. The last time I looked, we had more wages paid in the last two weeks than we had pre COVID in South Australia. In fact, the ABS statistics that came out today showed 6,600 more people employed in South Australia in February than in January, and I expect it to continue even stronger into March. So I am not sure why Meet Pete is talking down South Australia as per usual. From my perspective, South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will resume his seat. The member for West Torrens on a point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It is disorderly to call members by their Christian names, sir.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right! I uphold the point of order. Standing orders require that members are referred to by the electoral district they represent and not by name or otherwise.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is called to order. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you very much, sir, and I apologise to the house if I used the member's Christian name. I wasn't so much referring to his name as to his new slogan, Meet Pete, which is being pushed around by the Labor Party at the moment. The Leader of the Opposition is trying to run out again today a whole pile of failed Labor policies from when they were in government. By contrast, we put $4 billion—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —worth of stimulus and support for the people of South Australia, making sure that we can maximise employment in this state. The ABS statistics today show unequivocally 6,600 more people employed in South Australia in February than in January, a reduction in the number of the people who are unemployed, a massive increase in the number of people who are looking for work in South Australia and an increase in the participation rate, when we know that half the states in Australia had a reduction in their participation rate. South Australia has surged forward—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —because consumer confidence, business confidence, is extremely high, and that's what we see when you've got a government that is backing the people of South Australia.

Mr Szakacs interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Cheltenham!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We will admit there is much, much more work to be done, and that means working with businesses in South Australia, working for the people of South Australia. That's what we have shown. We've got South Australia to a position which quite frankly at the moment is the envy of the world.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Why is it that the Leader of the Opposition always wants to talk down our state? As I said, 6,600 people—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —find work and 4,700 people come into the jobs market, and he thinks this is a disastrous day for South Australia. Well, we will continue to work every single day in this place lowering the cost on business, putting the people of South Australia first and making sure we can come through the coronavirus stronger than before.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the leader, I call to order the member for Torrens, I call to order and warn the member for Cheltenham, I call to order the member for Badcoe and I call to order the member for Playford. I call to order the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services. I call to order the member for Ramsay and the member for Lee.