Northern Economic Plan

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:00): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to directing a question to the Leader of the Government on the subject of the Northern Economic Plan.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Contrary to the angry yet erroneous interjections from the Leader of the Government earlier this week, there was a press release on the government's website dated 18 October 2015 from Premier Jay Weatherill, headed 'Northern Adelaide Food Park to be based at Parafield Airport'. In that press release, the Premier, on behalf of the government said, and I quote:

The 2015-16 State Budget included $93 million over four years in targeted initiatives to deliver a sustainable future for northern Adelaide including $2 million over two years to help with the planning of the Food Park.

A sentence prior to that paragraph says: 'It will create jobs and drive business in a sector that is world-class.' My questions are:

1. How much of the $24.6 million announced in the January 2016 Northern Economic Plan release was already part of the $93 million over four years announced by the Premier on 18 October 2015?

2 Given that the minister has announced that the government will be creating 15,000 new jobs from the $24.6 million Northern Economic Plan announced in January this year, how many jobs is the government and the minister creating from the October 2015 release of $93 million over four years?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:01): I thank the honourable member for his question. It is a very similar theme that he returns to and it's hello, hello, he is just doing the same thing over and over again. In terms of the Northern Economic Plan, I thank you very much for this question; it was all new money. The $24 million was all new money, not part of any money previously announced. I'm very glad that I can clear that up for him that that money was all new money.

In relation to programs that were announced in October by other ministers, I'm very happy to go away, take them on notice and find answers to those questions. I'm very happy if that is the way the honourable member wants to use question time to ask questions about things in other people's programs that I can take away, find answers for, nitpick about very, very little things, and I encourage him to do so. Frankly, I think it is a great strategy. That's what people really, really care about, that's what voters care about, so I encourage you to continue on with that strategy and continue advising your leader on that strategy.