Question Time

Jobs Growth

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:12): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier please explain to the house why, despite South Australia having one of the best health responses anywhere in the world to COVID, thanks to Grant Stevens and Nicola Spurrier, we have the worst performing labour market in the country? With your leave, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: According to the most recent labour force statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, every single state in the country has grown the number of jobs over the last 12 months with one exception—South Australia. Victoria has grown the total number of jobs by 2,000, New South Wales has grown the total number of jobs by 2,700, Tasmania has grown the total number of jobs by 2,800, Western Australia by 28,100 and Queensland by 62,800. South Australia during the same period over the last 12 months has lost 10,500 jobs.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:13): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. This is an important question. It goes to the heart of our recovery plan here in South Australia. The Leader of the Opposition is quite right: we have had an excellent health response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, and that has been attributed to a large number of people. The Leader of the Opposition speaks about Professor Nicola Spurrier, of course, and he does so quite rightly, and also Commissioner Grant Stevens.

They lead very dedicated teams across SA Health, across SA Police, but there has also been an incredible partnership with the people of South Australia. People have had to make sacrifices. These are individual sacrifices, business sacrifices, but the collective sacrifices have kept our state safe and our economy strong, and our economy is strong in South Australia.

The Leader of the Opposition loves to cherrypick statistics. It is one of his core competencies, in fact. Unfortunately, it is not a particularly useful one. If we look at the last three months, South Australia has done well. Our unemployment rate has gone down from 7.1 per cent to 6.3 per cent.

An honourable member: You don't like that.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: More than 6,000 jobs have been created in South Australia, and while those opposite continually want to talk our state down we on this side have a plan to create more jobs.

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: And part of that, of course, is the economic response that we had in last year's budget where we put $4 billion worth of stimulus on the table—stimulus and support to businesses, to individuals, to our economy overall. That is why we are seeing results, like our unemployment rate coming down from 7.1 per cent to 6.3 per cent for the first quarter of this year.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: And whilst those opposite want to talk down our state, we are just getting on with the business of delivering more jobs here in our state. I am very proud of the work that this government has done. I particularly want to highlight the work of the Minister for Innovation and Skills. When we came to government we were in a real freefall in terms of skills in South Australia. One of the first things that we did was to reform the Training and Skills Board in South Australia, the industries skills boards in South Australia, and focus on developing skills, apprenticeships and traineeships that lead to job outcomes. I think to date we have created more than 33,000 new apprentices and trainees here in South Australia.

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni: Up to 37 now.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Up to 37,000 and the number keeps increasing. Let me compare and contrast that with what was happening under the previous government. We had a complete and utter freefall—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and a diminution of those people who were prepared to sign up an apprentice or a trainee in this state. What we have seen since with business confidence, consumer confidence, investor confidence at decade-high levels is companies willing to take on and provide jobs for the next generation. That is one plank, but there are so many others, and, of course, we are working with the federal government. I think that we are fortunate to live in a country where we have been able to provide support for businesses and for individuals—a bridge, if you like—to get over the problems that we are facing as a globe at the moment in response to the coronavirus.

We won't be distracted. We won't be deterred by the negativity opposite. If you could bottle that negativity, it would be a great energy source. You would be able to fuel a lot of hot air coming from those opposite, but we are not going to be distracted.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We've got a plan. I would love to hear what the plan from the opposition is. We are just 10 months away from the next election and they haven't announced a policy yet. It is the laziest opposition in the history of South Australia. Not only is it lazy but it is completely and utterly incompetent too. I am looking forward to maybe one or two commitments before the next election.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right!

The Hon. S.S. Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Premier!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right and members on my left! I just remind all members that a particularly disagreeable form of interjection is an exchange between individual members from one side of the chamber to the other. That will cease.

Before I call the leader, I call to order the Minister for Trade and Investment. I call to order the member for Wright and the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. I warn the member for Playford. I call to order the Minister for Innovation and Skills and the Minister for Education. I call to order and warn the member for Lee. I call to order the Premier, and I call to order the deputy leader and I call to order and warn the leader.