GLENCOE NURSERY

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:45): I have a supplementary question arising from that last part of the answer. Given the minister's answer about long-term opportunities for the industry, can the minister therefore say why the government said it had to sell the forestry due to the alleged risk in continuing to run a forestry enterprise?

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) (14:45): The rationale for the sale of the forests has been talked about at length in this place. The Hon. Robert Brokenshire can keep going back and revisiting that. That decision was made; it was made on a sound basis. We believe the decision was made in the interests of South Australia and we have got on with the job of governing this state in a responsible way.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Slash and burn.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: The opposition talk about slashing and burning. They want to slash between 25,000 and 35,000 public sector jobs, so what a pack of hypocrites! We are in very tight economic times and this government has worked very hard to manage its services in such a way as we retain critical front-line services and we attempt to ensure that they remain intact wherever possible. We have looked for efficiencies elsewhere where possible, particularly administrative efficiencies. We have to balance the budget, and that is exactly what we have done.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: You can't. You've never been able to.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: The opposition have just said that we haven't been able to balance a budget. What a joke! The opposition—eight years of government—not one surplus budget. Look at the track record of this government. Not only have we been able to balance our budget but we have been able to deliver surpluses, so what a pack of hypocrites! In eight years, not one surplus budget. They are not fit to be in opposition; they are certainly not fit to be in government.