Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Unemployment Figures Unemployment Figures The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council Unemployment Figures The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:25): Given that the minister has outlined the rationale behind this year's jobs budget, backed up by the last two budgets, which were also jobs budgets, can he explain why South Australia still has the highest unemployment rate in the nation? The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy Unemployment Figures 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) (14:26): We have talked about this a number of times. We are facing unprecedented sets of economic circumstances. We have an economy in transition. The unfortunate fact that those opposite don't like is that over the last 12 months we have created more jobs—nearly 7,000 more jobs—than have been lost. That is 7,000 jobs over and on top of any others that have been lost. The $109 million job accelerator package has had 10,000 applicants for that package. We are putting in programs to create jobs. The other proposition is that you take your hands off the wheel. You sit there and somehow a pie grows and everyone gets a job. It is nonsense. They have no plan, no idea and no chance for South Australia.