House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time General Practitioner Payroll Tax General Practitioner Payroll Tax Mrs HURN House of Assembly Schubert General Practitioner Payroll Tax Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:29): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier meet with the royal college of GPs to discuss the Queensland government's payroll tax ruling? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain. Leave granted. Mrs HURN House of Assembly Schubert Mrs HURN: The Queensland government announced a new Revenue Office ruling clarifying that patients' fees paid directly to a GP for their services will not be subject to payroll tax. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:29): I thank the member for Schubert for her question. I remain in regular contact with the royal college. My office advises me that we are due to meet in the coming days to continue these discussions because, as the Premier has already advised the house, I have found the interactions I have had with Sian Goodson and the royal college extremely productive for the benefit of not just her constituency of her members, general practitioners in South Australia, but also the government. It is as a result of those interactions and her representations that we have made a series of decisions as a government to put in place a regime that is far more generous to GPs than what is happening in some other states and territories. The reason why is that we recognise, as I think most people in this chamber would, the critically important role that GPs play in our community. As the Premier pointed out in some detail, the decade of abject misery that they were subjected to by the Liberal Party of Australia in their time in federal government— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Bear in mind, while they interject and seek to talk over the proceedings of question time, it is all of those people opposite who are calling out who stood in T-shirts and handed out for Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton and Malcolm Turnbull, for all those people who refused to increase the remuneration for GPs for a decade—not a real increase in remuneration for GPs under a Coalition federal government for a decade. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Chaffey, order! Member for Colton! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: The member for Chaffey yells out, 'What are you doing?' The bulk-billing incentive was tripled in November—tripled. The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Treasurer, there is a point of order. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Schubert, your colleague the member for Morialta will be heard under 134. I anticipate 'debate'. The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: debate. The question went to whether the Premier would meet in relation to the Queensland government ruling. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully. There were a number of interjections, particularly from my left. The Treasurer has the call. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I know it is hard for those opposite. When they are screaming out interjections, it makes it hard for them to hear the information that is being given to the house. I have already discussed the regime of meeting with the royal college that the government is engaging in in the coming days. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: If that advice that we have provided to the house is not welcome by those opposite, then what I would encourage those opposite to do is stop spreading the deliberate lies and misinformation that their positioning on this issue has encapsulated. The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order from the member for Morialta, which will be heard under 134. The member for Schubert is called to order. I anticipate 98. The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Yes, 98. The minister is required to respond to the substance of the question and not go on to debate related matters. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: There is some merit in the point of order that has been raised, but it may be that the Treasurer has concluded his answer. No, very well; there is more to come. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Unlike the attempts of those opposite, principally the member for Colton and the member for Schubert, we are committed to dealing with this issue on the basis of facts, accurate information. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: We have those opposite, particularly those two members I just referred to, deliberately putting out misleading press releases. The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order under 134 from the member for Morialta. I anticipate he presses 98. The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta Deputy Leader of the Opposition The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Yes, sir. In response to your last ruling, the Treasurer is ignoring it. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: It was not so much a ruling as an encouragement to the Treasurer. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morialta! The same content might well be introduced with less rhetorical varnish. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: So three times now I have confirmed the meeting arrangements between the government and the royal college. The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting: The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: You would like further information? We just can't keep up with you, John. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: We can't keep up. Maybe get a question. Just get a question. You are the deputy leader—step up. Step up to the plate. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer Minister for Defence and Space Industries The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Come on, contribute. That's why you're there. I conclude my remarks, sir. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer has concluded his answer.