Address in Reply

ADDRESS IN REPLY

Adjourned debate on motion for adoption.

(Continued from 1 March 2013.)

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:27): I would firstly like to thank and acknowledge the contributions of members to the address in reply. My first and most important task is to acknowledge the contribution of His Excellency the Governor Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce and his wife, Liz Scarce. His Excellency continues to bring to his duties as Governor both an appropriate dignity and warm humanity. It is gratifying to hear that he has agreed to stay on as Governor of South Australia for a further two years. Liz Scarce's hard work and commitment to many community organisations and groups should also not go unmentioned, she makes a very valuable contribution in her own right. Both the Governor and his wife together do a remarkable job for the people of this state.

My congratulations go to the newly elected members in the other place: Dr Susan Close, member for Port Adelaide, and Ms Zoe Bettison, member for Ramsay. I anticipate that these two young women will make an invaluable contribution to this parliament and their electorates. Their election takes the number of Labor women in both chambers to a total of 13, which means that we have between two and three times the number of women the Liberal Party chooses to select for winnable positions. Numbers such as these show up the very stark differences between paying lip service to equity, balance and fairness, which the Liberal opposition does, and actually doing something about it, as the Weatherill Labor government has.

In his speech, the Governor outlined how the government would bring a structured approach to its seven primary areas of focus for action. In a world full of extraordinary fluctuating variables—in currency exchange rates, overseas conflict and turmoil, technological change and the unknown impact of climate change—we are blessed, in South Australia, with a number of opportunities and advantages. South Australia is a great place to live and work and do business. It is perfectly sized and the city centre is in easy reach of everything.

Adelaide is a place where you can have both a career and a family life. Our stunning beaches are just a short drive from the city centre. You do not have to go far to experience the wonders of our regions and what they have to offer, including the unique and spectacular views of the Flinders Ranges and the beauty of KI and our world heritage listed caves at Naracoorte on the Limestone Coast. To top this off, we are the wine and seafood capital of Australia.

The PRESIDENT: And the world's best winemaker.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Yes, Mr President—and the world's best winemaker. There are also plenty of festivals and events to keep you busy on the weekends such as the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Adelaide Fringe, the Cabaret Festival, Sea and Vines, International Guitar Festival, OzAsia, WOMAD, and let's not forget that we are the host to a number of major sporting events such as the Santos Tour Down Under and Clipsal 500.

South Australia offers an exceptional blend of produce, people and places. This state has a wonderful mix of cultures and influences that bring positive inspiration to our community and offers us a great range of skills and knowledge. We have worked very hard and will continue to do so to ensure that we maintain our high level of understanding and appreciation of the benefits and richness that cultural diversity brings.

Our duty, as the government of South Australia, is to make strategic decisions which will assure present and future citizens of this state a flourishing future. Importantly, we must do so in a way so as to share this prosperity broadly while concentrating our resources in such a way as to maximise growth and opportunity. This approach takes discipline. It takes a certain lightness and deftness of touch; it takes experience, thoughtful insight and, lastly, it takes very hard work and the courage to make very hard decisions when needed. Anything less would not be honouring those who have worked so hard in the past to create the social and physical infrastructure in the institutions of this state. Without them, our efforts would amount to very little.

The opposition has claimed that the government has shied away from its past and only focussed on the future. Let me take this opportunity to remind those opposite about what Labor has achieved. Since 2002, new jobs in South Australia have grown by over 129,000, despite a weak global economy in recent times. Under Labor health funding has increased each year. Compared with a decade ago, we have an additional 200 hospital beds with some 250 more on the way and reduced waiting times in emergency rooms and for elective surgery.

South Australia has the highest gross state product growth in the country in per capita terms, with a 1.5 per cent increase versus the national average of 0.6 per cent. This is 32.4 per cent higher than in 2000. Labor has delivered massive infrastructure and transport investment which will continue to boost the construction sector. There is also $109 billion worth of major developments underway or in the pipeline for South Australia. Of the $109 billion, 60 per cent of this amount has gone into the regions. Sixty per cent of $109 billion is committed to our regions. Some projects (large and small) that the government has committed to in regional areas are:

refurbishment of the Port Bonython jetty;

the Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund;

the Plan for Accelerated Mining Exploration;

a desal plant in Hawker;

regional health services in Whyalla, Ceduna and Berri;

more rural road safety programs;

upgrades and new facilities at regional government schools;

modernising and improving school bus services across SA; and

the Enterprise Zone Fund for the Upper Spencer Gulf and outback.

The list goes on. It will be money wisely spent because a great deal of South Australia's future hangs on how we develop our regions. Our mining industries and the potential for renewable energy are key positives for South Australia, and most of that activity will take place in regional South Australia.

If we contrast this to June 2000, ABS figures showed that unemployment was at 8.2 per cent and had been increasing since 1998. A decade ago there were no new hospital beds, no cuts to waiting lists and no relief for emergency departments. There was also a lack of investment in road, rail and port infrastructure.

There is no denying that recently global economic conditions have impacted on consumer and business confidence, and the South Australian economy has experienced variable conditions. The mining, agriculture and export sectors have continued to grow whilst other sectors such as retail and the property market remain weak due to households reining in their spending and borrowing to deal with the cost of living pressures and the increased volatility in the global financial markets.

Labor has positioned the state well for the future, as we all look forward to the government's seven primary areas of focus, summarised as a clean, green food industry; mining developments (boom) and their benefits; advanced manufacturing; a vibrant city; safe and active neighbourhoods; affordable living; and early childhood.

Our food industries have been an impressive component of our state's economy for many years, and they are all the more impressive for the fact that so much of South Australia is arid and subject to fluctuating climate. Under such circumstances, our food industries have built an enterprising culture of resilient innovation. We have built on—and will continue to build on—a reputation for high-quality 'clean and green' produce through growing our resource management practices, research and development capabilities, and agricultural entrepreneurship.

Our mining industries are continuing to expand into a colossal enterprise that will change South Australia on a scale which is still not completely grasped by many South Australians. It is the government's strong determination that these resources belong to all South Australians, and it is with this in mind that the government is establishing a bipartisan committee to explore the potential for a future fund to take those benefits past the short and medium term. In the meantime, we need to build a framework to establish strong regional partnerships that will build local education and skills training services and the supply chains needed for large-scale industrial and mining activities in our regions.

Regional South Australia stands to change greatly in the coming years. Manufacturing must also be kept as a strong priority for South Australia, having played a critical central role in this state for many decades. Having a mixed economy is a prudent long-term strategy and, even though the opening up of the global economy presents great challenges, an active, modern manufacturing sector is vital for us to keep abreast of high-skill, high-value industries.

Our significant role in the nation's defence industries, including the construction of the air warfare destroyers and elements of the Joint Strike Fighter project are dependent on the retention and expansion of our advanced manufacturing industries, along with a highly-skilled, trained and educated workforce. We must also retain and attract people to live and work in our state and, to that end, making Adelaide a striking and enjoyable city is one of the seven key priorities.

Although Adelaide is smaller than Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, the quality of lifestyle and education is still great, and it is a cheaper city to live in. Statistics show that it costs more to live in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. As we all know, Adelaide is already a good place to live, and others apparently agree. We were listed in the top 10 of The Economist's world's most liveable cities index in 2010 and ranked the most liveable city in Australia by the Property Council of Australia in 2011.

But we can always do better and, for this reason, the Riverbank-Adelaide Oval-RAH project is only a part of a greater city-wide vision we have. Recently, I had the great pleasure to open the first of the developments in the Riverbank precinct, Regattas Bistro and the Panorama Suite Complex. While the opening was for only a fraction of the larger project, it points to the fact that we are now starting to see the grand dreams of our planners, designers and builders springing into real life—real bricks and mortar.

What an exhilarating experience it will be to see those elements falling into place over the next number of years. I need only remind members of the towering cranes a few hundred metres to the west, where the most advanced health precinct in Australia is emerging: the new RAH and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

It is not just the city that will be the beneficiary of this long-term planning. Creating safe and healthy neighbourhoods will enable the state's citizens to lead more secure and fulfilling lives. Our neighbourhoods could be so much more; they could also allow us to live in places which are not just dormitory suburbs but places in which people feel they are involved and acknowledged.

We need to keep housing as affordable as possible. South Australia has a long and honoured history in creating a housing sector that allows the public and private sectors to work together. Importantly, opportunities now exist to create housing that is energy efficient, water-wise and makes good use of public transport.

Lastly, the government is placing a strong emphasis on lifting the quality of life for our children. We aim to change the way all sectors in the community can integrate policies, planning and support for children's development. Getting childhood development right will shape the wellbeing and outlook of our future citizens and, consequently, the capacity of the future of this state. The seven-point approach outlined in the Governor's speech was not only comprehensive but does illustrate the point that we have taken on the challenge of managing a complex interlocking economy. To do so requires a disciplined, structured approach.

Sadly in the opposition's Address in Reply it was difficult to ascertain any sign of a coherent, structured plan. In fact, the reply by the opposition leader in the house might better be described as a sort of 'meander in reply' rather than an 'address in reply', wandering from policy waterhole to waterhole, wallowing in the usual welter of complaints and predictable grievances.

There was simply no hint of a grand vision whatsoever from the opposition benches or any vision other than blinkered. Perhaps they are now so long from any experience of government that they have just become completely unplugged—or perhaps unhinged might be more accurate—from the reality and responsibility of the task of government. Consequently, it is easier to snipe at whatever passing issue strikes their fancy. I have a brief piece of advice for the opposition, and it is in the form of a quote from a poet, Maya Angelou: 'Nothing will work unless you do.'

In the meantime, I am very excited and invigorated by the challenges outlined in the Governor's speech, unlike the opposition with their glass half empty approach. I can see that South Australia's glass is already more than half full and filling fast under the guidance and direction of Premier Weatherill.

While there is no doubt that we are living in seriously challenging times, I know that my ministerial colleagues and I relish and enjoy those challenges, and to quote Louis Pasteur: 'Fortune favours the prepared mind.' The work of the past few years in government has prepared South Australia well to make the very best of the opportunities before us.

Motion carried.

The PRESIDENT: I advise honourable members that His Excellency the Governor is pleased to receive honourable members of the council at 3.30pm on Thursday 15 March 2012 for the purposes of presenting the Address in Reply.