Job Creation

Dr HARVEY (Newland) (14:20): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier please update the house on the Marshall Liberal government's COVID-19 recovery plan to create more jobs?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:20): I thank the member for Newland for his excellent question. He is quite right: we have, if you like, these dual crises to deal with. At the moment, we have a global health crisis and we also have an economic crisis. What we are trying to do here in South Australia is get both of those situations optimised.

I think by any independent metric—not those opposite of course—South Australia has done very well in handling the health crisis. I put it to you today, sir, that we have also done extraordinarily well in dealing with the economic crisis that has enveloped much of the world.

To provide some evidence to you, sir, and to this chamber here today, I cite the ABS statistics that were released on Thursday last week which, of course, showed that South Australia created more than 15,000 jobs in the month of April. In fact, we now have a record number of people employed in South Australia—864,200 people are employed in South Australia at the moment. It's a record. It's the highest in the history of the state. It's much higher than pre COVID. How many other places in the world could say that they have grown employment through a global pandemic? Well, South Australia can. In fact, when we look at April—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They love talking the state down. They are barracking for failure but their barracking is all in vain because the people of South Australia are responding to the very strong economic conditions that have been created. In fact, in the month of April, South Australia created more jobs than the rest of the country combined. That is something that every single South Australian should be very proud of.

When we look at the unemployment rate, at the beginning of year it was 7.1 per cent. We have now seen it progressively move down to 5.7 per cent here in South Australia and we've got plenty more work to be done. Only today, the single touch data came out also from the ABS—completely discredited by those opposite.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They hate good news.

The SPEAKER: Member for Lee!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: But let me tell you, there was more good news with the ABS single touch data today: South Australia was the only jurisdiction in the country that actually grew its employment over the last fortnight reported. The ANZ has just released their Stateometer: the highest rating we have ever received and they particularly noted that the net population outflow to other states has been reversed under this government, with the first positive flow to South Australia since 1991. Again, we have been able to provide the people of South Australia with a great opportunity to stay in South Australia, to get a good job, to stay here to grow their family.

We also look at the BankSA's State Monitor, with the highest level consumer confidence in more than 10 years and the highest level business confidence in more than 15 years in South Australia. Of course, the Business SA Survey of Business Expectations for the March quarter found the general business conditions index is at its highest point for more than 13 years. So there is plenty of good news, and part of that is because we had an immediate response of $4 billion to the coronavirus, the second highest per capita in the entire nation. In addition to that, of course, our state budget provided $16.7 billion worth of economic stimulus and that is creating tens of thousands of jobs.

There is still more work to be done. I can guarantee that every single member in my cabinet, every single member in my team, is working as hard as we possibly can because this is an insidious disease. It has had massive devastating effects right around the world, but not here in South Australia. Despite those opposite, things are looking very good for South Australia in the future.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the leader, I call to order the Minister for Trade and Investment, I call to order the member for Playford and I warn the member for Lee for a second time.