Question Time

State Prosperity Project

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:01): My question is to the Premier. How much has been spent by the government for advertising promotion of what the Premier has called the State Prosperity Project, and what is the expenditure seeking to achieve?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:01): I am more than happy to take on notice the details for the Leader of the Opposition regarding elements of his question.

Members interjecting:

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

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: As the Leader of the Opposition is well aware, governments have advertising expenditure budgets. We are operating in accordance with those. The former government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —had their health advertising campaigns, and I can't remember the number but there was a big dollar campaign associated with the infrastructure spend. There was campaign after campaign.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: I'm not sure if there was an advertising campaign for their land tax hikes. Things of public policy significance do have marketing budgets, or campaign budgets, associated with them. The reason we are doing that—and it is an important question from the Leader of the Opposition—is pretty simple. The State Prosperity Project has a number of policy elements that sit beneath it. There is obviously the Hydrogen Jobs Plan, the Northern Water proposition, and what we are seeking to achieve around green iron.

The hydrogen subject more broadly is complicated, green iron is complicated, Northern Water is complicated and it is important, and I think the South Australian electorate seeks to have an appreciation of not just—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —what the government is doing with their funds, but also why we are doing it.

I think South Australians expect their government—frankly, particularly a Labor government—to be pursuing an agenda around job creation and seeking to bring new wealth into our state, not just for the benefit of workers but also for businesses more broadly. They also expect of government, including a Labor government, that we seek to capitalise on the decarbonisation opportunity.

On this side of the house we believe climate change is real. On this side of the house we believe it deserves action, but we also believe—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Morialta! Member for Hartley!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —on this side of the house, that the world's race to decarbonise is a big opportunity for the state. So there is an industrial policy here, a climate policy here, that comes together in a beautiful coalescence of—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: It represents a major agenda that this government has and the South Australian community expect to know about it—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Florey!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —and that has been communicated to them.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I turn to the leader, I observe that the member for Hartley and the member for Morialta are warned.