Single Touch Payroll

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:56): My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline for the chamber the latest information on the Single Touch Payroll figures?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:56): I am delighted at the end of the parliamentary sitting week to be the—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —conveyor of good news to the—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Treasurer will resume his seat. I can't hear the Treasurer and I would like to, and I am sure all of the opposition and other members would like to, so I would like the Leader of the Opposition and his frontbench colleague to be quiet. The Treasurer will continue.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: As I said, I am sure all members will be delighted to hear me, on behalf of the people of South Australia, conveying good news to the chamber and to all people in relation to the latest Single Touch Payroll figures produced by the independent Australian Bureau of Statistics—not produced by anyone from a partisan viewpoint.

The latest Single Touch Payroll figures in the latest fortnight, which is up to 14 August 2021, very pleasingly from South Australia's viewpoint showed that we have regained our position, second only to Western Australia, in terms of the increase in the total number of employee jobs since the low point of the pandemic in April 2020—a 14.7 per cent increase in the number of jobs, only outranked by Western Australia—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —at 16.2 per cent. Both Western Australia and South Australia are significantly above the national figure, which was 10.1 per cent, still healthy, double digits, but South Australia and Western Australia are leading the pack, leaders in the clubhouse, at 16.2 per cent and 14.7 per cent.

Even more pleasingly, because of the factors I have highlighted before—that is, the total employee wages when compared to the low point of the pandemic—South Australian workers, 12.6 per cent in total wages paid since the low point of the pandemic, only outranked, again, by Western Australia at 16.5 per cent. The national figure is 9 per cent, so Western Australia and South Australia are significantly ahead of the national figures.

As I reported, the last Single Touch Payroll figures, which actually coincided with the week of the lockdown in late July, did show a decline in that particular fortnightly period, but in the interests of transparency and accountability we always share the information whether they happen to be up or down. Pleasingly, this fortnight's figures, as they generally have for most of the last few months, demonstrate a very healthy economic recovery in South Australia when compared to most of the rest of Australia.