Global Liveability Index

Dr HARVEY (Newland) (14:26): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier please update the house on the Marshall Liberal government's plans to make South Australia the best place in the world to live?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:27): I thank the member for Newland for his excellent—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Playford!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —question. Can I just say, I have always said that South Australia is the best place in the world to live. Adelaide is the greatest city and our regions are second to none, and we have now been acknowledged and acclaimed by The Economist as the number one most livable city in the country and the number three most livable city in the world. I've got to say that people have always said that South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Playford!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —is a livable state and Adelaide is a livable city, and the way that we have worked together to handle the coronavirus I think has elevated—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Playford!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —South Australia on the international stage and that is absolutely fantastic news. I want to thank every South Australian who worked together to help make this fabulous international acknowledgement a reality here today. We have achieved this not only by keeping South Australia safe through the coronavirus but also by building what matters here in our state, delivering more jobs and, of course, better services right across our state. I've got to say, the government's economic recovery plan is working particularly well at the moment.

Mr Odenwalder interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Elizabeth is called to order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: While those opposite want to carp and complain and whinge and whine about what's happening in South Australia, let's look at some of the facts that the world is now recognising about our state. We have record employment in South Australia. We have more people and more wages being paid in South Australia now than before the coronavirus. What other place in the world can say that? We can say it here in South Australia. Our job vacancies are at the highest level that we have had in the history of our state, and the stat that I love is that we have reversed that mass exodus of young people—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee will cease interjecting.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and capital out of our state presided over by those opposite for 16 years. We have reversed that.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Elizabeth!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The capital is flooding back in. The young people are flooding back into South Australia. We have the first net interstate migration to South Australia since 1991 and that is a tremendous—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: For some reason, members opposite are complaining about people wanting to stay in South Australia and return to South Australia. Well, I think it's fantastic. They are recognising that we are building exactly and precisely what matters to the people of South Australia like the Minister for Education pointed out: important improvements to the educational facilities in South Australia, massively expanding our failed health system under those opposite with major—$1 billion worth of projects right across our state at the moment.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hurtle Vale!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We are opening up—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale will cease interjecting!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —our reservoirs in South Australia, something that those opposite actually opposed. We are doing the work that is so important to attract people into our state.

Ms Cook interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We have banned single-use plastics. This is an important measure to tell people that we are serious about sustainability in South Australia. We are now heading to 78 per cent of all our energy coming from renewable sources by 2025, and only this week we heard the great news about the interconnector with New South Wales. Whilst we have now been internationally recognised, we have reversed that brain drain and we have the highest level of employment in the history of our state, there is still much work to be done.

On the 22^nd of this month, we will be handing down our budget. This is a very important budget to make sure that we can continue to deliver more jobs, lower costs, better services and a hope and a future for the next generation here in South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member Wright, I warn the member for Chaffey, I warn the member for Colton, I warn the member for Elizabeth, I warn the member for Playford for a second time and remind all members that the member asking the question is entitled to be heard in silence and that the minister answering the question is entitled to be heard in silence.