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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-03-07 Daily Xml
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Wages Growth

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (14:50): My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. Minister, when did it become government policy to keep South Australian wages low, and will the government continue to spend taxpayers' money to celebrate the government's success in keeping wages low? With the leave of the house, I will explain.

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

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Hartley, I anticipate that the Leader of the Government Business is going to—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Standing order 97, sir: the question involves argument and debate.

The SPEAKER: Very well. I'm going to turn to the member for Hartley and give him an opportunity to recast the question. If it were not recast, I would find myself upholding the point of order.

Mr TARZIA: Thank you for indulgence, sir. I will rephrase. My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. Does the government have a plan to grow real wages in South Australia's private sector? With leave of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TARZIA: A paid advertisement in today's Australian Financial Review includes commentary from the minister that 'the state's private sector labour costs are almost 10 per cent below the national average'. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Wage Price Index and Consumer Price Index for the year to December, South Australia has the lowest real wages growth in the country.

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni: Spoken like a real shoppies' union member.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Florey, order! Minister, please be seated. The member for Florey and the member for Unley will depart the chamber under 137A for the remainder of question time. The minister has the call.

The honourable members for Florey and Unley having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The minister has the call.

Mr Tarzia: You used to support the workers, Nick.

The SPEAKER: Member for Hartley!

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION (Taylor—Minister for Trade and Investment, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Planning) (14:51): South Australia has a whole lot of comparative advantages. We have comparative advantages in lower turnover, for instance. That's one of the advantages in lower labour costs that we bring to employers.

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley is warned.

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: We have lower turnover costs. I don't make any apology for selling the state of South Australia in the Financial Review—

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hartley!

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: —because of our very many advantages in this state. We have advantages in renewable energy. We have advantages in lower labour turnover. We have a whole heap of advantages in terms of our state.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Reynell!

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: I make no apology in selling those advantages.

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Hartley well knows the standing orders, including in relation to the use of props.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Taylor is called to order. Order!

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