Export Figures

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:55): My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer outline the latest export figures for South Australia?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:55): I am pleased to be able to report to members the latest export figures released last week. Clearly, there are significant concerns amongst Australian exporters about the potential impacts of trade barriers and/or bans from China in particular, but certainly the 12-month figures to March 2021 indicate a very healthy performance by South Australian exporters, which clearly, from the state's economic recovery viewpoint, is heartening.

The increase in the value of overseas goods exports in South Australia was up 9.5 per cent. Western Australia was up 8.5 per cent, whereas Victoria was down 13 per cent, New South Wales was down 14 per cent and Queensland was down 28 per cent year on year. That is the growth and export markets to March 2021 compared with the growth and export markets or the performance and export markets through to March 2020.

Somewhat surprisingly—I guess there will be changes in this particular figure as we continue into the near future—exports to China were actually up $512 million in that period, or 18 per cent. Saudi Arabia was up 371 per cent, the Philippines was up 97 per cent, Canada was up 13 per cent and Thailand was up 55 per cent.

The Hon. R.P. Wortley: Hasn't helped our unemployment rate.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The countries where exports declined, interestingly, were Malaysia, which was down 19 per cent; Japan, down 20 per cent; South Korea, down 22 per cent; France, down 43 per cent; and Singapore, down 18 per cent. Clearly, there are mixed figures in relation to the relative export performance to various countries. As I said, there are encouraging figures there for China, up 18 per cent through to March and unlikely to be significantly impacted over the coming months by the ongoing impact of trade and/or other bans that the Chinese government has imposed upon Australian exporters in particular.

Nevertheless, in concluding, the prospects of economic recovery and jobs recovery in the state are going to be significantly impacted by the ongoing export performance of South Australian exporters. Certainly, the government's continuing emphasis in its three years is on opening up trade offices across the world, opening up offices that were formerly closed by the former Labor government, which was one of the more intriguingly bad decisions of the former government in relation to a small regional economy like South Australia, reliant on performance of exports.

To actually embark on a process of closing down trade offices all over the world—it seemed to be very difficult to understand the logic behind that, but I am sure it made sense to the former government and the best friend of the Leader of the Opposition, the former Minister for Trade, who—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —as the Leader of the Opposition continues to say, was 'a very good minister' in his view. How he could defend the policy—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —of closing down trade offices across the world and trying to encourage exports is, as I said, very hard to understand. But this government has set about opening up a significant number of overseas trade offices in an endeavour to assist South Australian exporters to continue to export to countries across the world.