Question Time

Belgravia Apparel

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): My question is to the Premier. Did the Premier sign a letter authorising a government department to give a $1 million grant, paid for by South Australian taxpayers, to an Adelaide clothing company, Belgravia sports apparel, and, if so, how and why?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:08): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I can talk to the grant that was provided to Belgravia, which is a South Australian enterprise that employs South Australians to make goods for global markets. I am in a position to be able to provide formal advice to the house that I have received official government advice that Belgravia have expanded and transformed their Mawson Lakes facility into an even more cutting-edge and state-of-the-art manufacturing hub on the back of state government industry support.

Similarly, they have been able to upgrade their sportswear production capacity from 2½ thousand units a week to 5,000 units a week. There has been a 50 per cent increase in turnover from the financial year 2022 to financial year 2024, and now Belgravia is manufacturing products for Nike that were once produced in China.

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the opportunity to enunciate all of the benefits that we have seen in terms of economic growth here in South Australia as a result of that industry support. More than that, it is these types of initiatives that have incrementally, when you add them up, resulted in South Australia having the fastest economic growth in the country on the mainland. We have seen the South Australian economy grow at a faster rate than the nation's economy.

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley, the Naracoorte Primary students are watching and they think you're being a little rowdy, and so do I.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: I make that statement on the basis of facts, and I can report that the source of those facts is the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Mr Speaker, you will detect that I am at pains to refer the house to the official advice I have received from the South Australian government. I am at pains to report on the economic growth success of this state, as reported independently, officially, by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, because on this side of the house we place merit and value on accurate statements of fact. On this side of the house—

Mr TEAGUE: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader.

Mr TEAGUE: I just call on the Premier to table the document that he is referring to.

The SPEAKER: I don't think he has to table the document unless it's statistical information.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: On this side of the house, when we stand up and make a contribution to important public discourse on any number of things, our first source of information isn't to run to ChatGPT. We are not running off to AI.

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley can leave the chamber until the end of question time. There's too much of a hullabaloo going on in here. I can't hear the deputy leader's point of order.

The honourable member for Unley having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: Deputy leader, did you have a point of order?

Mr TEAGUE: I am calling for the tabling of the document. The Premier has even gone further to claim that he is studiously referring to it. The house ought to have the benefit so that we can do that as well.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of Government Business, on the point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It is a briefing note. It is not to be tabled, sir. It has not been a practice of the house.

Mr TEAGUE: It is the practice of parliaments for centuries. Ministerial responsibility requires, if the relevant minister is referring to a document and going further to claim to be referring to the document for the very reason that he's trying to make a point about studiously adhering to the facts, it's a perfect example of where the Premier needs to table the document so the house has the benefit.

The SPEAKER: Premier, can you continue with your answer?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: I think it's becoming increasingly evident why the house of government, when the Liberal Party were in charge, chose for you no longer to be Speaker, sir. It is clear that on this side of the house we place a high value on speaking with the authority of official advice and that we are very cautious to make sure that on important public policy debates we don't rely on AI to be able to inform our opinions. It is somewhat concerning that on matters of critical importance to the state, such as the algal bloom, there are some people in this parliament on that side of the house who would feel so at ease questioning the advice of official experts, marine scientists, on the algal bloom, and cite ChatGPT as their reason for doing so. That's unacceptable: we will stick to the facts.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right will come to order.

Mr TEAGUE: I just reiterate, the call for—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Sorry, members on my right will come to order. I can't hear the deputy leader.

Mr TEAGUE: I am obliged to raise it in a timely way. The Premier has concluded his answer. In those circumstances I repeat the call for the Premier to table the document.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Parliamentary briefing notes have been used in this house since ministries were offering ministers advice. They don't get tabled, sir; of course they're not tabled.

The SPEAKER: I don't think it's—

Mr TEAGUE: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Yes.

Mr TEAGUE: On the point, the Premier has not described these documents that he has referred to as briefing notes. He has referred to reliance on the ABS and other facts that he is studiously relying on by reference to a document in his hand. He should table it.

The SPEAKER: I can't see the document from here, but if it is briefing notes you never have to table briefing notes. It's your question time and we're seven minutes in. We can go backwards and forwards on this. Leader, do you have a question?