HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-03-19 Daily Xml
Contents
Xml

Malinauskas Labor Government

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:15): I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak today, on the second anniversary of the election of the Malinauskas Labor government, about the government's failure to deliver to the people of South Australia and for the people of South Australia on their central election premise or even on any of their key election promises.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that we heard advice from the Premier of South Australia that when a politician offers promises then nine times out of 10 it is BS. That was the way the Premier of South Australia described the way that politicians talk, and he is certainly correct inasmuch as he talks about the Malinauskas Labor government.

Central to the premise for their election was their commitment to fix ramping and yet more than 20 months in a row it is the worst on record. Their failure to deliver on this is an extraordinary abrogation of the duties to the people of South Australia, because before the election they raised this issue as being that of the most primary issue of life and death for South Australians—'vote Labor like your life depends on it' was the call before the election.

After the election, all of those Stobie pole posters that said they would fix the ramping crisis may as well never have been put up. They do not want to talk about that. They never use the same data that they promised to fix before the election when describing it now. It is an extraordinary black mark on the Malinauskas Labor government and the people of South Australia do not forget that. Everybody remembers those posters, and they will be held to account for it.

This government failed on a whole range of other promises too. The Premier promised that the government would be determined to provide relief for the cost of living wherever they can, yet South Australian families typically are $20,000 a year worse off. The Labor government's promise that they were addressing the housing crisis, the Labor government's promise that the first and most important role of government is the safety of its citizens—broken promise, broken promise.

Indeed, in the last 12 months, in the last year, crime statistics have been going up significantly, as we see traders in the Rundle Mall confronted with issues: people bringing knives into shops and people brandishing chairs at staff. We have heard from retailers, we have heard from retail staff and members of the community who are deeply concerned about crime in the city, deeply concerned about crime in their communities, from the eastern suburbs to the West Coast. Right around the state of South Australia people are concerned about crime, and the government's promise, Peter Malinauskas's promise, that the first and most important role of government is the safety of its citizens has been shown up for the BS that the Premier might describe it as.

The Premier said there would be no new taxes, no tax increases and that the state budget would be kept in surplus—another broken promise from this government. As we have just heard in question time again today, GPs can expect no further support from this government, as what they have described as a GP patient tax is about to be imposed on GPs and, more concerningly, imposed on sick and vulnerable South Australians, who will be confronted with the increasing costs, potentially the end of bulk billing in South Australia and a likely turn away from South Australians choosing the GP and instead going to the ambulance ramp. This is both a disastrous health decision not to address the GP ruling and, indeed, a disastrous decision for sick and vulnerable South Australians.

The Premier said before the election that premiers have a responsibility to stand up for the state's interests, and this Premier has declined to take his federal Labor mates to task when it comes to the federal Labor Party's rejection of their commitment for nine Hunter class frigates. That has been reduced to six and our Premier is now absolutely fine with that. That is a disastrous concern for our confidence in our shipbuilding sector.

Number 7 on the list today, 'Labor will protect Adelaide's unique Parklands' was the claim before the election. After the election, only, it turns out, when it is convenient for them to do so, and when it is not, they are happy to let the Parklands go. Labor said the existing Aquatic Centre can continue to be used while the new one is being built and for families and for swimmers and particularly for students seeking to learn to swim, that is a significant broken promise that is of concern to them.

Finally, there is Labor's commitment to offer three-year-old preschool to all South Australians from 2026. Labor's plan for education on the posters on polling booths was: number 1, universal three-year-old preschool. The best-case scenario for universal three-year-old preschool under Labor's plan will apply for children born in 2029—not this electoral cycle, not next electoral cycle, the cycle after that, and that is if they ever find the budget or the workforce to deliver on this promise. They have failed the people of South Australia. South Australians deserve better but the good news is we are past the halfway mark and help will be on its way in 2026.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT