Regional Skills Shortages

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (14:40): My question is to the Premier. What action will the Premier take to address the skills shortages across regional South Australia? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr WHETSTONE: The latest Housing Industry Association Trades Report shows that regional South Australia has the highest cost of trade and the second highest trade shortage in the nation. Meanwhile, regulations implemented by unions for farm labour have caused fruit and vegetable costs to skyrocket.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:41): The member for Chaffey is not missing an opportunity to yet again bash the only institution we have in this country that is focused on wages growth rather than wages suppression. As I made clear in an earlier answer, if you are serious about the cost of living, if you are serious about wanting to see people's positions in the economy improve, then you have to be serious about income and wages growth.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: You have to be serious about that. I would suggest to those opposite—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Heysen is warned.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: I would suggest to the members of the Liberal Party that it is now time that they get with the program—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —that decades of wages suppression has actually undermined people's standard of living rather than enhancing it.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: What we see on this side of the house is a commitment to growing the state's economy in conjunction with growing skills so we grow productivity and we grow people's wages, and on this side of the house, we acknowledge the legitimate role that the trade union movement has to play in that regard, whether—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Chaffey is warned.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: In respect to skills in regional communities, yes, there is a skills shortage in regional communities that is more acute than what we see in metropolitan Adelaide, but if you want to do something about skilled labour, then you know what you are going to invest in? You are going to invest in skills, education and training. Rather than actually cutting TAFE—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —what you need to do is invest in TAFE.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Premier, there is a point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Florey, you are warned for a final time. It is a topic that does seem to excite you.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Heysen is joining that list. The member for Morialta under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Sir, the Premier is in breach of standing order 98.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, I have a further point of order.

The SPEAKER: Very well, member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Standing order 137: there is a wall of noise from members opposite.

The SPEAKER: Yes.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: They ask a question, and then they scream at the Premier while he is giving his answer.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Very well, member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: That is a bogus point of order from somebody who is one of the people who is contributing to the noise—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —not least the Premier, shouting into the microphone—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —as any review of Hansard will demonstrate.

The SPEAKER: Very well. The member for West Torrens on the duelling points of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I ask that you retract that. I have not interjected. Retract it.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Sir, I withdraw my scurrilous accusation against the Grandfather of the House.

The SPEAKER: There are points of order on points of order on points of order, and then of course also an invitation to withdraw and apologise. I think the hard truth is, on the final day, there are interjections on both sides with great vigour and some interest. We will get to the conclusion of question time in 25 minutes, hopefully without the exercise again of 137A but, if necessary, then of course.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: As I was saying—

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Unley! Premier, please be seated. Member for Unley, you will have to go—137A.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, the whole house was warned, in fact only seconds before.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Ten minutes—he doesn't want to miss the last day.

The honourable member for Unley having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Rest assured, if there is anyone we want back in this house, it's the member for Unley. The point that I was making is that if you are serious about skills shortages in regions—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Chaffey! The question has been asked. Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Elder, joining the list. The Premier has the call. Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: If you want to address—

The Hon. J.K. Szakacs interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Cheltenham, if there is a point of order, then it ought be made, but otherwise the Premier has the call. Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: What I would say to the member for Chaffey—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The exchange between the member for Chaffey and the member for Cheltenham will cease so that the house can hear the Premier.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: If the member for Chaffey is concerned about skills shortages in regional South Australia, he will be very grateful—

The Hon. J.K. Szakacs interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Cheltenham, you are warned. Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: No, there is only one way to resolve this. Member for Cheltenham—137A for the remainder of question time—joined by the member for Chaffey, who continues to interject whilst I seek to restore order, also for the remainder of question time. Both of you, now would be convenient.

The honourable members for Cheltenham and Chaffey having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: I was reassuring the member for Chaffey that this government is investing in skills shortages by investing in skills and training, particularly in the areas of need that are most acute, including in regional South Australia.

One of the biggest concerns that the state government has had over the course of the last 12 months in particular is in regard to the housing shortage that we have in South Australia. To address the housing shortage, you need more supply. If you want more supply, you need to have the trades to be able to build those homes. There are a range of programs that we have invested in as a state government in conjunction with the HIA, the MBA and the CITB, to invest in TAFE, to invest in campaigns, to encourage as many people as possible to take up those skills.

In regard to migration policy, we believe that has a role to play as well. The Deputy Premier announced earlier that we are willing to stand up to the commonwealth in advocating for a position for South Australia, notwithstanding that the federal government is of the same political persuasion as us. There is nothing we are not willing to do to try to get more supply of the skills that we need to drive the growth and the supply we need in the economy.