HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-09-22 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

Single Touch Payroll

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:50): My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer outline the detail of the latest single-touch payroll figures released by the ABS and what they indicate about the pace of economic recovery in South Australia?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:50): I am very pleased to be able to share with honourable members the details of information released by the ABS today on the single-touch payroll. As I have briefly outlined before, the single-touch payroll, which was introduced as a new innovation by the ABS earlier this year, gives much more relevant and contemporaneous labour force data. These particular figures, for example, relate to the latest fortnight ending 5 September 2020, whereas the monthly unemployment figures, as useful as they might be, are produced or prepared on a lag basis and would have referred to the early part of August in relation to what they were actually purporting to measure.

What the single-touch payroll data shows is that the total number of employee jobs in South Australia rose by 0.2 per cent and nationally the equivalent figure fell by 0.4 per cent. More importantly, the total value of employee wages paid in South Australia rose 2.3 per cent, whereas nationally it rose 0.9 per cent. What it's showing is the important measure of the total number of hours being worked by employees in South Australia compared to other states and territories and, even more importantly, the total salaries or wages being received by employees in South Australia compared to other states and territories. South Australia is performing very strongly indeed.

For example, the growth in jobs in South Australia in the latest measure was the equal strongest in Australia of all the states and territories; that is, South Australia's jobs-growth performance in the most recent fortnight was equal strongest with Tasmania. In one of the other measures, South Australia's growth in salaries was the second highest of all the states, second to Western Australia.

The government has acknowledged and will continue to acknowledge that, as we slowly ease restrictions, there is much, much more that still needs to be done. There are a number of industry sectors, in particular those that relate to or are reliant on international tourism and hospitality, for example, the international education sector and related sectors, and those retail outlets in the central business district that rely on the percentage of workers working from their offices in the CBD, as opposed to those who might still be working from home. Clearly, they are being significantly impacted by the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. No-one is underestimating the ongoing difficulties being confronted by workers and businesses in terms of managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

I think what these figures and some other recent indicators show is that the specific approach being adopted by Premier Marshall and the government in South Australia is appropriate and is demonstrating success, thus far, in terms of growth in jobs and wages being enjoyed by South Australian workers in South Australia. That is the combination of payroll tax relief and other tax relief that's being provided in South Australia and the stimulus activity that is being provided that was targeted, in particular to areas which ensure both the protection and the growth of jobs in South Australia.

There has been a very difficult argument. Whilst we acknowledge the pain that some sole traders have suffered in South Australia, the government is using taxpayers' money. Let's remember that the government is not spending government money, we are spending taxpayers' money. We have made the difficult decision to target assistance such as the $10,000 grant assistance to those small businesses that actually employ South Australians, again, because it will give the maximum impact in terms of both jobs growth and salaries growth in South Australia.

In a climate where the taxpayers have unlimited money and the government has unlimited money, all of those grants could have been made available to everybody in the state. The reality is there has been targeted stimulus activity. The government is mindful that much more needs to be done. The Premier has announced in the last week or so significant initiatives in the tourism sector because of the impact of COVID-19.

Over the coming weeks, as we lead into the November budget, there will be a series of further stimulus announcements designed to protect jobs and to help grow jobs as restrictions are eased in South Australia. Of course, on budget day itself, there will be further significant announcements made by the government, consistent with the approach we have adopted.

The targeted assistance is not just short term for the first three months or so but an acknowledgement that our assistance and support is going to be required for a year, or maybe two years, as we transition from where we were in the troughs of COVID-19 earlier this year through to the jobs of the future in defence and shipbuilding, submarines, space and cyber that are just over the horizon. There is a transition that needs to be managed and this government will continue that transition and stimulus program.

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