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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-12-04 Daily Xml
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Goods and Services Tax

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (15:05): Does the Treasurer accept that GST money from the commonwealth is untied, that it currently sits just short of $5 billion, and that there was a $338 million increase in that GST funding from the commonwealth this year and that he can use that money at his own discretion?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:05): Sir, if you want to suspend reality and past budgets, then yes. If you want to take out every single other budget decision ever made over the past four years, he would be right. But, of course, the government was not invented this year and has no history; the government is an ongoing concern. We have budgets every single year and we allocate spending on the basis of our best estimates of what GST will be.

The discretionary increase that the Leader of the Opposition is talking about from the latest figures is $8 million—$8 million, I am advised. So, if he thinks that $8 million is enough to cover a $101 million cut to our hospitals, to our schools, to our pensioners and to Gonski funding, he is sadly mistaken. I can tell you, and the health minister can tell you, and every member of this house can tell you that an ageing population presenting to our hospitals is growing at a rate of nearly 8 per cent per annum, as is the cost of delivering that service.

I can assure you, Mr Speaker, there is not a citizen in this state who expects us to deliver second-best health care or 1997 practice. The Leader of the Opposition is deliberately misleading the public—deliberately misleading the public, Mr Speaker—on this—

Ms REDMOND: Point of order, Mr Speaker: I do not believe that the Treasurer can accuse anyone of misleading in the house without a substantive motion to that effect, sir.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I will withdraw, sir, for the ease of the house.

The SPEAKER: That would be good.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I withdraw, sir. I will put oil on troubled waters because I know it is a very anxious day for the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It could be your last day in the chair!

The SPEAKER: The—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I'm so sorry, sir, I will go back to the question.

The SPEAKER: No, I am hoping it won't be my last day in the chair.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: No, sir; long may you last, and long may you prosper in your chair, with the wisdom of King Solomon. Can I just say I think the Leader of the Opposition is getting a bit white knuckled as we get closer and closer to Saturday.

The SPEAKER: Will the Treasurer return to the substance of the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Healthcare costs are growing every single year, and the tied grants that the commonwealth have cut that have been linked to health and education, I could not transfer that money that was assigned for non-government schools. So, what the Leader of the Opposition is actually telling me—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —is that the grant that I received—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Mr Speaker, he is getting a little bit hysterical.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It will be over soon, don't worry. It will be over soon.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Mr Speaker, I will gladly read it out. It is a Council for the Australian Federation communiqué dated 18 May 2014, Sydney:

The unilateral termination of intergovernmental funding agreements, signed in good faith, is unacceptable.

The cuts to funding for States and Territories, and the manner in which they were imposed, will cause immediate and significant impacts on the hospital system—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Hang on a second—

and permanent structural deterioration in the recurrent funding positions of State and Territory Governments.

With this in mind, [the Council for the Australian Federation]:

1. Expresses grave concern that, contrary to the Prime Minister’s remarks today, there are immediate impacts on frontline services and the cost of living for Australians. For example, from 1 July 2014, there will be a reduction in funding for 1200 hospital beds across Australia and the withdrawal of over $300 million per year from concessions for pensioners and seniors…

Liberal premiers, Mr Speaker!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Liberal premiers, Mr Speaker! A definition of a Liberal premier is a Liberal leader of the opposition that won an election. That is the definition, Mr Speaker, of a Liberal premier. Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition can stand up for South Australians, stand up for our hospitals, stand up for our schools and stop standing up for Tony Abbott.

The SPEAKER: I think the Treasurer is debating the answer. The member for MacKillop.

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