Unemployment Figures

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:06): Supplementary question arising out of the minister's answer: why is Victoria's unemployment rate nearly two percentage points below South Australia's?

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Retreating now and not mentioning the automotive industry.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:06): Yes, that's right. Now he is too ashamed to refer to the automotive industry. As I said, what an absolute hypocrite he is to come into this place and mention our automotive industry when it was the federal Liberal government that ripped the guts out of our manufacturing sector, reneged on our submarines and ripped hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding out of health, schools and VET.

The Hon. Rob Lucas knows only too well that the South Australian economy—he is a former failed treasurer, I guess, so he probably doesn't know; he probably never got it. He knows that there are a number of economic factors that have operated here in South Australia have taken up a far more significant part of our economy. He knows that South Australia's economy has been far more heavily reliant on traditional manufacturing than Victoria's economy. He should know that but, as I said, he is a former failed treasurer, so it is not surprising he doesn't get it. He also knows, for instance, that the commodity prices have significantly impacted on South Australia because of the heavy reliance of this economy on those elements. But, as I said, I am not surprised that he doesn't get it.