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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-09-16 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Emergency Services Levy

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): My question is to the Premier. How much of the $90 million per year increase in the emergency services levy will be spent on emergency services here in South Australia?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:18): Every single cent, Mr Speaker.

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is called to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: If members had read the report that went to the Economic and Finance Committee, as has been the process every year since the emergency services levy was introduced by members opposite, they would realise that the hypothecated fund of emergency services can only be used on emergency services.

Indeed, in the report we gave to the Economic and Finance Committee, we listed the expenditure determinations by the minister for 2014-15. They were for the Country Fire Service, MFS, State Emergency Service, Surf Life Saving SA, Volunteer Marine Rescue, SA Police, SA Ambulance, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, State Rescue Helicopter Service, Shark Patrol, and others for the provision of emergency services, and we detailed the amounts.

What we offered afterwards was a general remission from consolidated revenue. That money has been removed and we have put it into health and education, and people are fully funding emergency services through the levy. We're not taking that money raised from the emergency services levy and spending it in general revenue or anywhere else; it's going directly to emergency services.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Heysen is called to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The act requires us, I understand (but I will go back and check), to spend every cent we raise on emergency services. If there's a surplus—

Mr Bell: Smoke and mirrors!

The SPEAKER: Member for Mount Gambier, I call him to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —at the end of the year that remains in the Community Emergency Services Fund when we are calculating next year's round of emergency services budget, that goes towards it.

The idea that we're somehow raising money to be spent on other issues is inaccurate; it's simply not accurate. The emergency services levy is there to raise money for emergency services. It always has been and always will be. What we have removed are general remissions for everyone other than pensioners and concession card holders. The reason we have done it is going exceptionally well.

If only the opposition joined with us and criticised the commonwealth government for the cuts it has made to health and education, we wouldn't have to do this. My promise to the people of South Australia is that we will reverse these increases and reinstate the remissions immediately if the Prime Minister reinstates the cuts he made to health and education.

Mr MARSHALL: I have a supplementary question.

The SPEAKER: Before we get to that, I warn the member for Heysen a first and a second time. I warn the member for Hammond a first time, and I call to order the members for Hartley and Unley. Yes, leader.

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