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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-09-05 Daily Xml
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State Budget

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:59): Supplementary question: in the Premier's conversation with that Housing Trust tenant, did he canvass with them their capacity to pay additional rents as a result of your budget?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:59): Well, the budget only came out yesterday, so I haven't done—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: But I make this point: there are a limited number of people who will have an increase in their Housing Trust rent.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens will not interject.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We will be phasing in that increase over a period of time. It is not going to hit in one point of time. It was the former government's policy for rent paid by Housing Trust tenants to be the lower of either the market rate or 25 per cent of the income. There were a limited number—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will be heard in silence.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and this was the former government's position and, of course, it was the national standard, which has been in place for an extended period of time. There are a limited number of people who are not paying at that level. We have sought to address this in the budget. We are not implementing it immediately. We are putting it in over a period of time and we are doing that because we have regard for cost-of-living pressures on every single South Australian. That is why what is contained in our budget—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —is a raft of measures which will benefit all South Australians, having a focus on their cost of living. Now contrast that if you will—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —with the massive increase—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in cost of living—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —that was put in place by the former government.

The SPEAKER: Point of order by the member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the Premier is now debating the question, sir. The question was very specific.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is being interjected constantly. I will listen to his answer and ensure that he is not debating the substance of the question. Premier, I think you are winding up.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: With all the noise that was coming from the other side, I lost focus on what the question was. But the reality is—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —that cost of living is important to every single person. We have no desires whatsoever to increase the cost of living on any single person—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —but we had a policy in place, which was the policy of the former government—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —which was the policy adopted right across the country, that Housing Trust tenants will pay the lower of the market rent or 25 per cent of the income. Now we have a responsibility to make sure that we provide Housing Trust properties to as many people as possible, so we are going to implement the policy of the former government. But it is not like we are without a heart. The simple fact of the matter is that the increases—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —will be implemented over a period of time. The maximum increase in a year is $10 per week. And can I make this point, because there is a lot of bleating from those opposite. They're upset about the budget. They're upset about the budget because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —the people of South Australia voted in a new government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —to clean up their mess. Over here we've got this confected outrage—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —that somehow the new government is increasing the cost of living on the people of South Australia after a 16-year period where there was no concern whatsoever for cost-of-living increases. Look at the increases in energy prices that they inflicted upon the people of South Australia. Look at the increases in terms of water prices that they inflicted upon the people of South Australia, the emergency services levy pain. Let me tell you, when we came into power those opposite had already factored in an increase in terms of state government charges of 2.5 per cent. What did the new government do? Looked at it very carefully, looked at what we needed in terms of the ratios and reduced that down. A multimillion dollar hit to our budget, but we care about the people of South Australia and we want to lower their cost of living.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Colton, I call the following members to order: the member for Playford; the member for West Torrens, and I warn him for a first time; and the deputy leader. The member for Waite is warned for a first time and the member for Lee, who I am sure has been perusing the budget documents overnight, is also called to order. The member for Colton.

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