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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
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EMPLOYMENT FIGURES

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (15:01): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier explain why there are 1,100 fewer full-time jobs in South Australia since Labor's 2010 election promise to create 100,000 new jobs?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (15:01): I thank the honourable member for his question and point out that since we have come to government we have in fact created in the order of 120,000 new jobs in the South Australian economy, which contrast very favourably to the rather meagre number of jobs that were created during the earlier period of government when those opposite occupied the Treasury benches.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: In December 2012—

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is on two warnings.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —the most recent figures, South Australia's headline seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, rose to 5.8 per cent. Trend unemployment fell slightly in South Australia to 5.3 per cent and was unchanged nationally at 5.4 per cent. So, South Australia's trend full-time employment rose by 2,400 people, which more than offset a fall in part-time employment of 804 people.

Despite the fact that we saw a rise in unemployment, we had an increase in the number of people employed in South Australia. The explanation for the difference is that many more people were looking for work, and they were looking for work because they had confidence in the South Australian economy. We continue to be an economy which is growing, despite the fact that there is real uncertainty and particular sections of the economy are doing it very hard.

There is an air of unreality about the propositions that are being advanced here. We are growing the economy, we are creating jobs in the economy, and we have over the last 10 years. We are, of course, confronted with a global financial crisis which is creating uncertainty and causing people to withdraw from the investment decisions that are creating jobs at the rate we would like, but what would happen if we withdrew from the very investments about which they complain? It would crater the South Australian economy. There is an air of unreality and an air of dishonesty about the way in which they advance these propositions. Can I say that, when we talk about the—

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —question of honesty—

The SPEAKER: I warn the member for Davenport for the first time.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —at least the former leader of the opposition was honest. She would tell us the truth. It may have been unpalatable, may not have done her a lot of good, but she used to tell us the truth.

The SPEAKER: Premier, I do caution you about impugning the honesty of the Leader of the Opposition.

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