Question Time

Cost of Living

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): My question is to the Premier. Are South Australians better or worse off since the Premier took office? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: A typical South Australian household is nearly $25,000 a year worse off since this government was elected. The cost of food has skyrocketed, electricity prices have risen by nearly 30 per cent, water bills will increase 3.5 per cent above inflation every year for the next four years, and now South Australians are paying more to see their GP because of this government's GP payroll tax grab.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:20): I will answer the Leader of the Opposition, but I would like to start by also putting on the public record my congratulations to him in achieving the office of Leader of the Opposition. I had the opportunity to speak to the Leader of the Opposition I think on the day of his elevation or maybe the day after on the phone. I wish him all the best in what is an important function within our parliamentary democracy.

Critically for the people of South Australia, they take a lot of comfort in the most important source of their standard of living, which of course is their job. What this government has been committed to from the outset of its election is making sure that more South Australians are in more jobs that are secure and well paid. On that score, the South Australian economy has never ever been in a better position than what it is now. Tens of thousands of jobs have been created since the last state election, and that means a lot. It means a lot to the people who are in those jobs but, more than that, it means a lot to the families around them.

It is true that we have seen globally—and Australia has not been immune—a high inflationary environment. That is why this government has put a considerable amount of effort and resources into cost-of-living support across a range of areas within our control. We think of the Cost of Living Concession that just this week approximately 200,000 South Australians will be recipients of. That's $255 going into their bank account to provide them with support when they need it most.

We think of the support that we are providing to mums and dads sending their children to public schools throughout the state in terms of school services charges relief but also, on top of that, the extension, acceleration and increase to the school Sports Vouchers program, including for the first time making them available to music lessons. This is on top of a range of other concessions and supports we have provided since being elected, including on energy concessions and the like.

It is important to understand why the state government has the capacity to be able to provide this support. Of course, it exists in the fact that the state's economy is growing at a faster clip and a faster rate than what we have experienced in the past. We believe in growing our state's economy, not just for the sake of it but for the sake of people throughout the community, and we have an unapologetic focus on providing support to those families who need it most.

The recognition of the strength of the South Australian economy doesn't exist from the remarks of any of us on the front bench, it exists in independent report after independent report being publicly released making it clear that South Australia has the best performing economy in the country. Never before, prior to this government's election, have we seen the Commonwealth Bank State of the States report awarding South Australia the number one performing economy in the nation, yet we have now experienced that, and we have experienced it three quarters in a row.

On top of that, we have seen the Stateometer report from the ANZ and we have received accolades from the Business Council of Australia making it clear that the South Australian economy is performing exceedingly well relative to other jurisdictions in the country, notwithstanding global economic headwinds. We take pride in that but not comfort in it, because we know the work must continue if we want to realise all the opportunities that are available to this great state.