State Major Bank Levy

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:41): Equally, I look forward to the minister's comments about the Medicare levy increase to fund the NDIS. However, I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment a question about the state bank tax.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: The South Australian public has come out in an almost unprecedented move opposing this government's new state bank tax.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! It's very disrespectful to laugh at a member of this chamber while they are asking a question. Allow the member to ask her question.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Yes, Mr President. Thank you for your protection. They doth protest too much. Aside from ordinary South Australians worried about being slugged with yet another Labor government tax, industry and business lobby groups have come out and said that this tax will cost South Australian jobs.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Bank lobbyists.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Business lobbyists, if you were listening to the question. Industry groups representing thousands of small and medium South Australian businesses and employers have slammed the tax. They include Business SA, the Australian Retailers Association—the former minister is a member of that beloved union—Primary Producers SA, the Property Council, the Real Estate Institute, the Urban Development Institute of Australia, the Australian Hotels Association, and Restaurant & Catering South Australia.

These industry groups represent tens of thousands of employees and businesses, including pubs, restaurants, farmers, winemakers and so forth, and they all oppose the tax. My question to the minister is: does the minister disagree with all of these organisations and actually believe that the state bank tax will create jobs?

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) (14:43): Yes.