Career Employment Services Funding

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:42): Point of clarification, Mr President: the Treasurer has misunderstood the question—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Or it's a supplementary.

The PRESIDENT: So it's a supplementary.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The question was: what criteria was used to determine that these two types of programs—Jobs First Employment Projects and Career Services programs—would be cut, and the question regarding the savings figure was in relation to those two programs.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:42): The criteria that is governing the new government is twofold. First, the overarching criteria is to grow the economy and create jobs, to reduce the cost of living and costs for South Australian families and to deliver better services. That is the overarching mantra of the government. We were elected on that particular program, and we intend to deliver it. That is the guiding influence.

The second influence, which will influence decisions for ministers and agencies, is to deliver the efficiency savings targets both that the former Labor government left with the agencies and any additional ones the incoming government has offered. Linked with that—

The Hon. C.M. Scriven: So programs—helping people to get jobs—are not the priority.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Well, these are the criteria that will govern decisions that have to be made. You have to meet your savings targets, some of which were left by the former Labor government and some of the new ones for the Liberal government. So that is a criterion. A second one will be: we've got to try to grow jobs, grow the economy, reduce the cost of living in South Australia and deliver better services. And thirdly, there are new priorities for the new government—

The Hon. C.M. Scriven: So not jobs, not helping people into jobs.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —and the new priorities will be to deliver and create jobs. One of the new priorities for the government is to abolish payroll tax for all small businesses in South Australia, something the former Labor government was unprepared to do. They saw it as something mean and nasty to cut payroll tax for small businesses in South Australia to create jobs.

The reality is that the new government has been elected on a program of creating jobs in the economy. That means, therefore, that some of the old priorities of the former Labor government will not be able to be continued. That's the simple reality. If you're going to deliver new priorities, if you want to get rid of payroll tax for all small businesses in South Australia and to help grow jobs and grow the economy in South Australia, you have to get rid of some of the savings programs that you have.

This is not an old-style Labor government; this is actually a reformist Liberal government that has been elected. The people of South Australia said, 'We've seen what old-style Labor has done over 16 years; we've seen the mess that they created'—

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order: the question was in relation to what the new government is doing, not about what any old government has been doing. I note that the member has been on his feet for 13 minutes already.

The PRESIDENT: I note your point of order. The Hon. Ms Scriven, do you have another point of order?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: There is a final supplementary, if the Treasurer has—

The PRESIDENT: No, I don't think the Treasurer is finished.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: You haven't finished, but you have spoken for so long and you have not said anything.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Scriven, please sit down. Treasurer, please wind up your answer; it has been lengthy.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I keep getting supplementary questions. They are the criteria that are governing the decisions that are being taken. That is, if we're going to fund new priorities, we have to stop funding some of the old priorities of the old-style Labor governments. They are tough decisions which have to be taken but we will not resile from taking tough decisions. If you're going to abolish payroll tax, if you have a new priority, then you have to stop funding some of the old-style Labor priorities. Sadly, you are not going to be able to continue with all those programs that the former Labor government might have loved but which were singularly unsuccessful.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I have a final supplementary, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: I will listen to it. You have had a fair chance to prosecute your case.