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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-06-10 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

State Economy

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (15:23): During the course of this week, we did receive good news from The Economist Intelligence Unit that confirmed I think what we already knew and that is that Adelaide is one of the most livable cities in the world. It has been for a sustained period of time that we have always been more or less in the top 10 of the most livable cities in the world. Adelaide has always been in the top rankings of Australia's most livable cities. Yet again this week that was affirmed by The Economist Intelligence Unit achieving No. 3 within the rankings.

I do think it is true that that has coincided with a degree of sense of self-confidence amongst the South Australian people and Adelaideans that we have performed well during the course of the COVID crisis. We have collectively stood up to the plate. We are also seeing the windfall of an unprecedented opening up of the commonwealth purse strings with a massive fiscal stimulus in the economy.

I had an interaction very recently with a gentleman who worked for a car yard. He worked in the used car section. He explained to me firsthand, in a way that I thought would make him happy but was actually more a sign of anxiousness, that he had sold a car during the course of the week for $30,000 more than it was originally purchased for, despite the fact that it was three years old and had 60,000 kilometres on the clock. I said, 'That's fantastic, mate; more commission for you.' He said, 'Yes, but I know it's not going to last and I'm worried about what is happening next. I'm worried about what is around the corner.'

What this gentleman knows and understands is that it is imperative that any government is always focused on the future and doing the work to not just assess the opportunity but translate that opportunity into practical policy that will deliver a long-term dividend to the community. Indira Gandhi, former Indian Prime Minister, once said that there are two types of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit, and you are better off being in the first group because there is a lot less competition.

What we see on the other side of this house is a lot of competition, because they seem hell-bent—the Premier in particular—on trying to take the credit for other people's work rather than focusing on doing their own. Time and time again, we see that example. We heard it this morning on ABC radio: the Premier rushing out to try to claim leadership over the voluntary assisted dying legislation, which of course was principally led by the Hon. Kyam Maher and the member for Port Adelaide.

We have heard during the course of this week mentions and references to big investments in hospital infrastructure, which these guys had absolutely nothing to do with. As the member for King will well know, the Modbury Hospital $90 million development was principally organised by the former Labor government. The Minister for Education was banging on about a $1 billion investment in education. They had nothing to do with it; that was locked and loaded in budgets long before they came to government.

The Minister for Infrastructure has talked time and time again about projects that again they had nothing to do with the initiation of, and we are still waiting for them to start rolling out their infrastructure program—all talk, no action. The South Australian community know it when they see it. They know the difference between leaders who are trying to claim the credit for others' work and the leaders who are actually doing the business of setting up a policy and grabbing the opportunity that we have at hand.

When this parliament reconvenes in a fortnight's time it will be budget day. It will be the last budget handed down before the next state election. I think the whole state collectively hopes that this government starts to deliver on some serious work and has a policy in place that addresses the issues that we know exist and are real, and none are more real than the absolute crisis that exists in our health system. It is no longer enough for this government to point to the Lyell Mac, the Modbury Hospital or The QEH redevelopments; they have to now speak to their own policy, and we need people and we need staff. The cuts have to stop and the investment needs to be made.

Just as I stand, reports are out that the Women's and Kids' Hospital is at 157 per cent capacity in the emergency department right now; people are waiting right now. They need a budget that responds to this crisis. Stop taking credit for other people's work, start doing your own and try to get our health system back on track.

Time expired.

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