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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-03-27 Daily Xml
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GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (16:22): Last week marked the halfway point of the government's current four-year term, before the people of South Australia judge Labor's performance in March 2014. Ten years into this Labor government and the state's economy continues to go from bad to worse. After 10 years of Labor, South Australia is not only in recession, it now has the nation's highest taxes, the nation's worst economic growth, the nation's highest decline in job vacancies, the nation's highest capital city water charges, the nation's worst business confidence (businesses are leaving the state), the nation's worst approval figures, the nation's worst performing workers compensation scheme, the nation's slowest growth in wages and the nation's fastest growth in consumer prices.

Tourism activity is falling. Other states are outperforming us. The Barossa has gone from the second most popular tourist destination to the seventh and will fall further if we do not take drastic steps. The government is totally devoid of any entrepreneurship. All these cruise ships coming to South Australia and look at the way we welcome them!

Premier Weatherill was in state cabinet when every one of Labor's bad decisions were made since it took government in 2002. Shared Services—what a debacle! It cost jobs in the country regions and millions have been wasted with no tangible result. What we have now is the same ship, just with a different captain, and it continues to sink.

Under the Labor government since 2002 water bills have increased by 178 per cent. That is unbelievable—178 per cent! Electricity bills have increased by 95.2 per cent and state taxes have increased by 88 per cent. Two weeks ago figures showed the lowest level of real estate transactions in South Australia since 1985. Is anybody surprised? The Treasurer was reported as saying at the time, 'We have a serious revenue shortfall.' No doubt. Is he preparing for the worst when we discuss our credit rating? Yes, Mr Acting Speaker, we have two years left before the people of South Australia can pass judgement on the worst government South Australia has ever seen.

The situation is dire indeed, just ask the charities who look after the victims of poor government. All charities are reporting a huge increase in demand for provision of basic services—food, housing, clothing. People are very anxious. They are concerned at their future prospects, concerned at the government's inability to turn the ship around and concerned at continuing government waste and poor investment decisions. The new Royal Adelaide Hospital is but one, and that goes from worse to worse and from crisis to crisis.

Ask the people in business. Confidence is low. Why? Because people realise they are falling behind. It is almost impossible to balance the family budget, so they go without while this state government still spends out of control. We must address the problems otherwise by March 2014 our state will be a financial basket case. We can look at the result of the Queensland election and make relevant comparisons to South Australia. The Queensland result was so emphatic because the Labor government should have been retired at the previous election, but they snuck in the same way that this mob snuck in.

It is the same in South Australia. South Australia really should have a Liberal government now, and the Hon. Isobel Redmond should be the premier. She and the team won 51 per cent of the vote, and even the Electoral Commission said that last week. It said that we did not try hard enough in the marginal seats. Well, that is a surprising comment. I think that we need to revisit that.

I believe that the people of South Australia will send a stronger message in one year and 357 days' time. People will revolt. They are hurting in the hip pocket. They are very stressed at the cost of living increases. They are concerned at the money this government wastes, especially on things like government spin teams—$186 million over three years. Tell that to the battler out there.

I was here when the Liberals won by 37 seats to 10, and so was the member for Spence at the time. Well, I think that come 2014 the economy will be worse than it was in 1993 and the result will be 39 to eight.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Hon. M.J. Wright): The question is that the house note grievances—one more, sorry. The member for Reynell. My apologies.

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