Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-11-02 Daily Xml

Contents

Question Time

Gillman Land Sale

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): My question is to the Minister for Employment. Given the prediction by the Premier that the oil and gas hub development at Gillman would produce 6,000 jobs and inject millions into the South Australian economy, can the minister advise how many jobs have currently been created by the government's Gillman land deal?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:22): I thank the honourable member for his question and the opportunity to talk about some of the very good work this government is doing in employment, which stands in stark contrast—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Just relax a little bit. The minister has been asked a question. He now wants to answer it. Let him answer it. Minister.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Thank you, Mr President. As I was saying, it stands in stark contrast to what the opposition is serving up. They have not a single idea, and those thought bubbles they do have—I notice the Hon. Rob Lucas, with great irony, hipster sort of irony, holds up his 2036 document and I can just sense him saying, 'Can you please cost it for us? We've got some thought bubbles. We've got no idea what their effect will be, no idea what their cost will be. Can you cost it for us?', as the Hon. Michelle Lensink pleaded with the government yesterday to cost her policies.

An example of what we are doing in job creation is the Tonsley precinct, which a couple of weeks ago ticked over 1,000 people now permanently working there. Between the education sector, there are 70-odd start-ups and permanent companies that now have 1,000 people working there. When Mitsubishi finished manufacturing cars there there were approximately 800 people, so there are now more people working permanently at the Tonsley site than when Mitsubishi was last there.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: What about Gillman?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: It is an outstanding result and stands as testament to the foresight—in relation to the project that the honourable member refers to, as we know, the proponent failed to meet their obligations and didn't proceed with it.