Unemployment Figures

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:38): Given that in the last five years there were nearly 900,000 jobs created nationally, and only 11,000 in South Australia, to what does the minister attribute this little blip, or is this—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Spike.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Spike—thank you. To what does the minister attribute this spike?

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) (14:38): She is asking to what do we attribute the spike in jobs growth. To what do we attribute that? Well, there will be a range of factors that we attribute the spike in jobs growth. None of them are to do with the federal Liberal government, who are doing everything they can to punish South Australia.

The federal Liberal government don't think there's another seat here to win. That's why they are not acting on building ships here quicker. That's why, in the budget of $70 billion of infrastructure projects, there was not one new cent for South Australia. So, I can tell you what it's not attributed to: the jobs growth in South Australia is not attributed to the federal Liberal government.

There are a number of things that it can be attributed to: the Hon. Martin Hamilton-Smith's Economic Investment Fund; the fantastic minister who is doing great work—his fund has created about 5,000 jobs. The Hon. Geoff Brock, the member for Frome, is a champion of jobs growth in this state.

Another thing the Hon. Michelle Lensink's reference to a spike in jobs growth in South Australia could be attributed to is the Hon. Geoff Brock's Regional Development Fund, where $33 million has supported 61 projects that independent analysis indicates have created more than 2000 jobs. So, there are probably a number of things we can attribute the honourable member's spike in jobs growth in South Australia to.