House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-25 Daily Xml

Contents

SHARED SERVICES

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:41): My question is to the Treasurer. What are the anticipated job losses in the Port Pirie and Clare areas from the government shared services program? The opposition has been advised that 37 full-time equivalent positions (up to some 70 people), particularly within the health and TAFE departments, will be affected in the Mid North and Yorke Peninsula regions by shared services reforms.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:42): I do find it interesting that I think this is the first time I have been asked a question about the electorate of Frome since I have been Treasurer. It takes an absence of a member for Frome—to have no member for Frome—to be asked a question. I wonder what that is all about! I ask members to reflect on how much care and concern the Liberal Party has shown towards the electorate of Frome in the two years since the last election. I doubt that there has been any question, but members opposite are obviously very concerned about the electorate.

I will come back to the member with an answer but, as I think I have said (if not in this place, then publicly), there is some impact in the country, and there is no denying that. I believe that impact to be minimal in the context of what is occurring, and the government has been very supportive and, indeed, generous in terms of wanting to offer anyone who is affected relocation packages and assistance in terms of seeking other positions.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for MacKillop!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I will come back to the member, but I reiterate this point: doesn't it show something about an opposition which has cared little about the electorate of Frome that it takes a day when there is no actual representative for Frome from the Liberal Party for it to care and bother to ask a question?