Government Expenditure

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (14:24): My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer inform the house of any calls for expenditure by the government over the last four years that were not budgeted for?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:24): Yes, I can. On this side of the chamber, we carefully consider the policies we impose. After all, they have a real and lasting impact on everyday people's lives. From time to time, members of the parliament call for an alternative approach, and it is a—what's the word?—step-by-step process that we go through.

When an opposition calls on a government to do something, they are signalling to the public that they would have done this had they been—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, can you just hold on a second. The next member of the opposition, particularly those on three warnings, will leave the chamber if—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Members on my right will leave too. We will hear the Treasurer's answer in silence. The Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: When an opposition calls on a government to do something, they are signalling to the public that this is what they would have done had they been in government. It's only—

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Morialta, you clearly need a break—take 15 minutes.

The honourable member for Morialta having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Until such a time that they tell the public that they will abandon these calls for funding, generally you can expect that from them. For example, let's hear what we have heard over the last four years. We have heard for calls for a $250 energy rebate for all South Australian households—that's $800 million across the forward estimates—and additional incentives to attract and retain doctors and nurses. That could be as much as $765 million over the forward estimates, where we would pay every doctor and nurse a $40,000 incentive, like Victoria. However, Victoria cap their payments but Queensland don't. So what is the opposition proposing? Are they capped or uncapped incentives? Are they for all the doctors and nurses or do they extend to all healthcare workers?

What's more, just this morning the opposition suggested that they would hold SA Health to its savings targets and to its budget. When the Auditor-General talks about overexpenditure by $1.6 billion, what he's talking about is dealing with activity above and beyond what they budgeted for. This is people walking through the front door saying that they've got and need treatment. Are members saying to us openly that they would shut the doors and turn people away? Of course they wouldn't. What they are saying is that there would be cuts.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Well, Mr Deputy Speaker, they need to explain this. But there are more. Let's go through them all. There is a freeze on emergency services levy bills; direct flights from Adelaide to India; new jet rescue boats; more loans for farmers; development of new facilities for pre-games for international 2032 Olympic and Paralympic teams; water infrastructure for Elliston; water infrastructure for Streaky Bay; a new Cummins police station; more cops in shops over Christmas; greater police presence in Glenelg, the CBD and Port Lincoln; unlimited health counselling for police; implementation of a five-point plan for shark mitigation; free flu vaccines; a budget boost for children's cancer care; normalised charges for allied health staff to attend appointments; more funding for psychologist supports; reinstatement of the Hahndorf main street project; various intersection upgrades, like Flaxley Road in Mount Barker, Verran Terrace in Port Lincoln and the Flinders Highway; and the funding of a SWAT-style team within the Department for Education to respond to closed childcare centres.

Just that alone, that small little vignette of calls over the last four years by members opposite, would equate to over $2 billion.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: $2 billion. $3.7 billion in commitments, $2 billion in calls for funding in just four years. Just imagine all of this while taking either $1.6 billion or $2.3 billion in stamp duty—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and the squeals from members opposite say it all. It is all coming home to roost. All the promises they have made on everything they have called for—the evidence is here: we've got the Facebook posts, we've got the tweets, we have all the evidence on everything they have called for, and they will own it all.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Before the leader takes the next question, the member for Flinders can join his colleague for 10 minutes.

An honourable member interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your colleague wants me to give you more, member for Flinders.

The honourable member for Flinders having withdrawn from the chamber:

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Members on my right—that's you guys, okay?—and particularly the member for Florey, you are on notice.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Next time, you will be joining your colleagues.