Building Industry

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. How is the Malinauskas government supporting the building industry and building industry associations?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:31): Well, the first thing we do is we don't have childish fits and tantrums and we attend their industry association dinners. I was pleased to join—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —I think it was seven ministers to go along to an industry that employs nearly 70,000 people in South Australia—not necessarily the Labor base, let's be fair. These are people who are in business; they are entrepreneurs, they risk their own capital, they're family businesses, they generally look to the Liberal Party. But I think it's fair to say there were a lot of concerned Liberals that night who just can't believe the tantrum of the Leader of the Opposition. He just refused to turn up. Why? He demanded something of the MBA that, quite frankly—

The Hon. D.J. Speirs interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It's a big one!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Leader, if you propose to make an allegation that a member is misleading parliament, you know there is a proper way to do it. You are called to order and you are warned. The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, I think I snapped my line; I was only planning on a 50-kilo fish, but—

The Hon. D.J. Speirs interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I'm an embarrassment?

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will not respond to interjections, and the leader will come to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I know the leader has a predilection for Disney characters; he seems to be obsessed by Disney characters.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Too soon?

The SPEAKER: Order! There is certainly a fresh vigour to members' contributions after the winter break. I will hear the member for Morialta on a point of order under 136.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir: you called the minister to order and he is defying your ruling. He is obstructing the house.

The SPEAKER: In fact I called the house to order, member for Morialta. He certainly is, for the moment—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It's true to say that after the 2018 election the Labor Party took time to reflect on its loss. We went out and re-engaged with many of those associations that represent large portions of South Australian industry. We wanted to understand exactly where it was that we had let them down. This started in the very beginning with the election of our new leader, the then leader of the opposition, the now current Premier. We embarked on a round of consultation. We went out and spoke to people: 'In 16 years, you don't get everything right—you make mistakes. What were those mistakes? How can we improve on them?'

It became a regular conversation, and they were tough conversations. They were conversations where we actually had to listen, where we actually had to develop new relationships, accept our errors, accept that we had made mistakes, accept that we weren't perfect. That is difficult and we did that. Of course, in the process of that journey there comes clarity, and with clarity comes discovery and with discovery comes policy. This is not in any Disney movie you could reference.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Chaffey!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: What we went away and did was work on how we could incentivise people who risk their own private capital to grow and flourish in South Australia. What is it that we can do to make their lives a little bit better? Well, we are investing $175 million into five new technical colleges and $8.8 million over four years to fund TAFE courses where industry has reported shortages, like bricklaying—things that are important. If you turned up to these events, Mr Speaker—not you, sir, personally, but others turned up—they would hear from the coalface what it is that they need. We are investing $1 million over four years to the Master Builders Association to run a Born to Build program.

We listened. We didn't complain, didn't have tantrums, didn't demand to speak, didn't demand to be held up in a spotlight, didn't demand to have any special treatment: we went about the business of rebuilding. Perhaps it's a lesson spoilt children can learn.