Bills

Supply Bill 2025

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 1 April 2025.)

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (12:52): I indicate that I am the lead speaker for the opposition and I rise to speak today on the Supply Bill and to take the opportunity to speak in detail about the perspective of the opposition on not just the supply as it continues on, but the expenditure of the government so far and where we are afraid this state is careening towards without proper intervention from a proactive government. Those who understand the processes of this place and of the state understand that this bill is one which assures the government of the day the funds to be able to effectively run the state in between the budget for the new financial year being accepted and the time when the allocation from the previous one is finalised.

I reflect on the expenditure of the last financial year in particular and recognise that it continues to be an incredibly challenging time for the people of South Australia in this cost-of-living crisis faced by them under the Malinauskas state Labor government and his good mate, Anthony Albanese, the Labor Prime Minister, in Canberra. As we stand, South Australia has the lowest household disposable income per capita of any state or territory in the nation. That means that there are fewer dollars in the pockets of everyday mums, dads and workers than anywhere else in the country. That is a damning reflection of the state of affairs where the cost-of-living crisis has been faced not just across the nation under this federal Labor government but magnified even more so here in South Australia under this state Labor government.

Our state has recorded the second-weakest growth in the nation for the last financial year. So all the talk that they try to do on the treasury benches, and the Premier over on the other side talking about how great things are—well, the figures tell a different story with the sorts of challenges that are being faced at the moment by families, by individuals, by businesses. A lot of it is caused, unfortunately, by some of the business failures that we have seen in South Australia. They have now reached their highest point since the COVID pandemic. The rate of businesses that are actually going under because of the challenges being faced particularly in this state is really astounding.

With these business values on the rise, it would be expected that perhaps the government would step in, recognising those challenges that are being faced, and perhaps ease the burden on business owners. Sadly, this is not the case at all. In fact, according to the South Australian Business Chamber's Survey of Business Expectations at the end of last year, the impact of government regulations went from the fifth biggest issue being faced by business to the third biggest in the last 12 months. One respondent said that they believed more small and medium enterprises would decide that it was not worth running a business in South Australia with the amount of red tape. That is a damning assessment from a business owner.

You may be asking: what red tape might that be? According to the South Australian Business Chamber's Survey of Business Expectations, more than half of all respondents said that the time taken to address tax compliance has increased, and with tax compliance concerns, more than 60 per cent of respondents said that their major tax compliance concern was related to payroll tax, which this government have leaned into well and truly when it comes to trying to prop up their budget that we speak about.

In this government, they continue to rake in the cash with a significant increase in the revenue from taxes such as these at the expense of businesses, workers and their customers right across South Australia. With so much negativity surrounding business expectations, it should not be a surprise that the South Australian Business Chamber's survey also found that less than 16 per cent of South Australian businesses felt the South Australian economy would be stronger or somewhat stronger in the next 12 months. Less than 16 per cent had any sort of optimism about what the next 12 months mean for them and the challenges they are facing within the South Australian economy.

The Premier, as I said, continues to try to reflect back on any sort of potential positive economic outlook that may have been provided by the commentariat or the experts that make assessments of where the economy is at both in the state and nationwide, but unfortunately at the moment they are all being superseded by ones that have a very different perspective. The latest is the CommSec State of the States report. This is one that those of us in this place would know. The Premier often refers to the CommSec measure point as a shining light.

Unfortunately, now the CommSec State of the States report says that South Australia is slipping well and truly when compared with the other states, with the report now highlighting what we on this side have been talking about for months, things like the significant drop in business capital investments. This is a real concern. If a business is not investing its funds back into the ongoing work of its business or even the expansion of its business, it reflects the challenge that is being faced right across the South Australian economy.

It reflects those concerns that I have been talking about: the lack of business confidence, their frustration with excessive regulation, excessive obligation from government. Unfortunately, there is no positive news in sight from this state government. This goes along with some of the other reports that we have been highlighting on this side. The NAB report says that business confidence is the weakest in the nation. Let us be truthful about it: South Australian business is mainly small business, small and family business. The challenges that they face mean that their confidence is the lowest in the nation. That should be alarm bells for this government.

To go with it is the latest Deloitte report, which highlights those exact challenges, exactly the same. They are starting to pile up. The rose-coloured glasses that the Premier might have when he is trying to commentate on where business is at at the moment in South Australia surely are becoming more dim because of the facts that are being presented by the experts in this field. Numbers like this can only lead to a drop in business confidence. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 12:59 to 14:00.