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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-09-26 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

State Labor Government

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (15:11): What an extraordinary week it has been in South Australian politics. What this Labor government has shown us is that you cannot trust them when it comes to your job, you cannot trust them when it comes to your health, and you cannot trust them when it comes to keeping their election promises.

I rise to speak on the appalling state of affairs that we witnessed this week under this Premier and this arrogant cabinet. What we first discovered here in this chamber was that GFG Alliance were in arrears in paying royalties to the state government. The Labor government is making headlines nationally for all the wrong reasons at the moment. We have also learned that the Treasurer has actually known about this for several weeks, yet it took the questioning of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition to get them to actually take action in this regard.

Following question time on Tuesday, we actually saw the Department for Energy and Mining come up with this half-baked, furiously published procurement activity report which, if you look at it, is actually too good to be true. The spelling errors on it show it is seeking a specialist financial and insolvency advisory service relating to GFG's South Australian operations. What we heard today was absolutely extraordinary.

You have to wonder: when did the Premier actually think about going there in a month's time or so? When did he maybe think about getting the Minister for Energy and Mining back from overseas, whatever he is doing over there? He does not have a very good record of delivering on these overseas trips. Do not forget, it was not that long ago that the Minister for Energy and Mining was sent to Spain to investigate, amongst other things, Talgo. I have to say, other than probably lots of sangria and paella, I do not think there was too much that was actually delivered.

I do find the timing of this trip especially notable. We will see what happens when he comes back, but I think it is absolutely outrageous that during such a serious time in South Australia's economy and history the relevant minister has been allowed to go on gazetted leave.

How disappointing that it has taken the opposition to catch out the government on their failure to treat this matter with the urgency that it requires. We know already that over 100 jobs have recently been lost at the Whyalla Steelworks. How many more are to come? Today we learned about the businesses that are owed money: we know contractors are owed money and we know that people are losing their jobs. It does not seem like this government is taking that as seriously as it should. It seems that all this government is interested in is cauterising bad headlines.

We will wait to see where GFG Alliance Whyalla Steelworks ends up. Obviously, we do not want to see the town of Whyalla in serious jeopardy, but I cannot believe that the Minister for Energy and Mining has not been in South Australia while the town of Whyalla hangs in the balance—literally, in some respects. Is he, as I said, enjoying the spoils of Oktoberfest in Germany? Maybe we will get to ask him when he comes back.

Then you have Labor's supposed prosperity project. All I can say is that Labor's prosperity project—or posterity, or was it austerity project? Whatever it is, all I have to say is that this project is becoming less and less prosperous by the day, as business owners come forward in the town of Whyalla, as people are losing their jobs in the town of Whyalla. They are all calling on the government to come clean about its contingency plan for the steelworks. You know what, I do not reckon the government has got a plan. I think they are making it up as they go along and I think they have been flat-footed when it comes to this failed hydrogen plan as well.

Only last week we came to learn that this government is now seeking to pull the wool over the eyes of South Australians on another one of their election promises. We heard recently—at the Budget and Finance Committee, in fact—that the Office of Hydrogen Power has not undertaken the relevant modelling to see what, if any, savings there are to South Australian bills that this experimental hydrogen plant will actually deliver.

We have also heard some really sad news when it comes to the tomato industry as well—again, another example of the government being flat-footed. Can you believe at 9 o'clock this morning we were being told that the Premier and relevant ministers did not have the decency to be there at 9 o'clock? I just find it absolutely appalling.

When it comes to health, the government has been busy spending taxpayer money, telling South Australians how good a job they are supposedly doing, like the $1.9 million advertisement to tell you how good the health system is. You know what, the health system has never been worse. If it is going that well, why do you have to spend $1.9 million of taxpayer dollars telling that to the people of South Australia? You cannot trust Labor. You cannot trust Labor with your health, you cannot trust them on jobs and you cannot trust them to deliver on their election promises either.

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