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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-09-11 Daily Xml
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Job Creation

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question, again, is to the Minister for Innovation and Skills. Can the minister explain why jobs growth in the first 12 months of this Liberal government has slowed to almost half the rate of Labor's last year in office?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:07): Isn't it embarrassing—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left, contain the excitement please. The Premier has the call. Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Isn't it embarrassing for those opposite?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They were in for 16 years—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —sixteen years they held the treasury bench in South Australia, and what do they want to do? They don't want to look at their performance over 16 years. They want to carefully handpick a couple of months here, a couple months there and compare them. Well, we are happy for a comparison for every single day that we have been in power. What we have demonstrated is a massive turnaround in terms of employment in South Australia. Let me give you an insight.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Let me give you an insight.

Mr Malinauskas: Worst in the nation!

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Let me give you an insight into what those opposite did in the lead-up to the last election. It was a cynical exercise. They realised how far behind the eight ball they had put South Australia, how far behind the fast-growth states in Australia, so they embarked upon a massive spending spree providing employers that created a job $10,000. Was this sustainable? The answer to that is, no, it wasn't sustainable: it was political. It was all designed to create a sugar hit for a few months in the lead-up to an election.

On coming to government, we found that this was an unsustainable way to continue. What we have done instead is to put that money into programs which are all designed to grow the economy, grow jobs in South Australia, and that's precisely what we have done. We have put our focus—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left and right!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —on helping sectors, helping industries, helping regions—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Well it's not working!

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and making sure that we can make it a more attractive place to invest in South Australia. We are lowering taxes, reducing regulation, building productive infrastructure—all the things that businesses need to get on and provide employment. And they hate good news. They hate good news—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and the fact that we have continued to grow employment—

Mr Boyer interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Wright!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —every single month—

Mr Gee interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Taylor!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —since coming to government. They talk about the increasing participation rate as if it is a disaster, because it would have been a disaster under those opposite who presided over the worst statistics not for one month, but month, after month, after month, after month. That's what they left us, that's what we inherited, but I am very proud. Every single person on this side of the house is focused every single day—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —on improving business conditions in South Australia, putting the people of South Australia first—forgetting about the politics, putting the people of South Australia first, doing the important reform that is needed, not going weak at the knees at the first whiff of any discontent out there in the public but getting on with governing for the people of South Australia.

I am very proud to lead this passionate team, and that is why we are sitting on the government benches, and that is why they were thrown out of office. The people of South Australia didn't want the politics anymore: they wanted a government that was focused on delivering for them. That is precisely what we are doing, and that is why South Australia is now open for business.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I warn for a first time the members for Wright and West Torrens, and I call to order the members for Torrens, Hurtle Vale, Lee and Taylor.

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