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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-06-02 Daily Xml
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Coronavirus Restrictions

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:19): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier please update the house on how the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions is helping businesses to get people back to work?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:19): I thank the member for King for her question. As she would be more than aware, we started day 1 of stage 2 yesterday as we moved back towards a COVID-safe environment in Australia. The Prime Minister announced, following a national cabinet meeting last month, that we would as a nation be in a COVID-safe environment by July. Each state or territory will decide when they arrive at that state.

Quite frankly, I think South Australia is doing particularly well with the way that we have tackled the coronavirus and we will end up there very early in July, maybe even in late June, because we are making such enormous progress in this area. We have worked very hard to make sure that the people of South Australia understand about this disease, they understand the risks associated with this disease, and they know their part in helping us to mitigate against those risks.

While we have low or no cases in South Australia and we have a high level of testing, we can start to gradually and carefully, and in a considered way, ease those restrictions and move back to a more COVID-normal environment. We won't get back there immediately. There will still be pockets of real hurt in the community, but we will try to progress as quickly as we possibly can to that place.

Yesterday, we heard an enormous sigh of relief across small business in South Australia as they were able to go back to work, to open their doors, to ring their tills, to welcome consumers, customers who have been waiting for a long period of time to go to their businesses. Yesterday, I was out at the Alma Hotel—a fine pub in my local electorate of Dunstan—and I met with former Adelaide Crows champion Mark Ricciuto, one of the licensees in that pub. I see the Speaker smiling.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: What is your mentor Peter Hurley saying?

The SPEAKER: Listen to this.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: He was delighted that he could welcome patrons back. I don't think anybody in this state would have envisaged that four or five weeks ago we would be having 80 people in a pub here in South Australia as of 1 June. That is only possible because of the great work that was being done.

I know that the member for King has lots of fantastic restaurants and cafes—Zitto cafe in your area. I am sure with their two fantastic premises at Golden Grove and also at Tea Tree Plaza that Rob Terry and his team would have been very, very happy to be back at work, as so many small business owners in South Australia were. Last night, I had the great fortune of attending a meeting of the Kensington Park RSL. This was the first time they had been together for two or three months. At 9 o'clock we all paused for the Ode of Remembrance to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: The shops were open ANZAC Day but not RSLs.

The SPEAKER: Member for Lee!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —for our nation. I know that many of them had been very isolated for the weeks leading up to yesterday where they weren't coming together with their friends. They had been very concerned about this disease. Members of the RSL are coming together. We know that members of the community are getting out. This is great for consumers, but it is also fantastic news for businesses and employees. The more that we can ease these restrictions, the more South Australians we get back to work, the sooner our economy recovers and that is good news for our entire state.

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

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

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