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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-09-17 Daily Xml
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Emergency Services Levy

Mr SPEIRS (Bright) (14:42): My question is to the Treasurer. Given that the emergency services levy bill of the Edwardstown Baptist Church Housing Association has increased from $766.95 last year to $3,125 this year, resulting in decreased services to low income families and youth, has he commissioned any modelling on the likely increases in government service provision as result of community groups and NGOs reducing services?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:42): I am sure those same people who use that very good service like to use our hospitals and schools, and I am sure many of them are also pensioners who are seeing their council rebate being ripped out by the Prime Minister. Again, I get to this point—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I warn the member for Unley.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I get to this point, Mr Speaker. Perhaps the member for Bright could go back and say, 'We are so offended by these remissions being removed we are going to reinstate them if we are elected in four years.' But no, cannot do that. That is how offended they are by them. They are so offended by them, but they won't make the commitment—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Is this a point of order from the member for Morialta?

Mr GARDNER: Yes; it is, sir.

The SPEAKER: What is it?

Mr GARDNER: It is No. 98.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order.

An honourable member: Have you done any modelling?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: That was not the question, I believe.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: You can put this in your report card. We don't do report cards for 12 months; six months only. Mr Speaker, I think those same people who use those services also use our hospitals, also have family who use our public schools. I am sure many of them are also pensioners, so when they looked at their council rates and noticed the $190 concession was about to be lost because the commonwealth government has made cuts, I wonder what the member for Bright said to them then. I wonder what he said about the cuts to our hospitals and schools. I bet he said nothing.

Ultimately, the government has made its choices. It stands by those choices. These remissions can be reinstated tomorrow. All that needs to happen is that the close personal relationship the Leader of the Opposition has with the Prime Minister can be invoked with a phone call and he can ask him to reverse his cuts to South Australian hospitals, South Australian schools and South Australian pensioners.

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