Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this morning to speak about a number of matters that have been brought to my attention by local constituents and residents in my electorate of Hindmarsh. Over recent months I have been talking to and meeting constituents at street corner meetings, shopping centres and listening posts and when doorknocking throughout the electorate. In addition I have enjoyed dropping in to local sporting clubs—such as the Morphettville Park Cricket Club; the Edwardstown Cricket Club; the Ascot Park Bowling Club; the Edwardstown Bowling Club; and the Holdfast Ring Bowl Club, which I think is the only one of its kind in the world—to watch their local games and speak with members. I have also been attending a number of year 12 graduation ceremonies at schools throughout my electorate, including those at Nazareth Catholic Community College and St Michael's College, where I have spoken with teachers, students and parents.

While I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people, one issue continues to be raised with me by residents. It is one of the biggest issues in South Australia at the moment: the emergency services levy. The levy has been imposed on the South Australian public by the South Australian Labor government in a very misleading and deceptive way.

Earlier this year, the state Labor government increased the emergency services levy, with some bills increasing by around 1,000 per cent. Farmers, schools, businesses and charities were all hit by the levy. Furthermore, the money raised from the increase will not go towards funding emergency services, which was the design of the levy. Whilst Labor in South Australia has been extremely misleading, blaming the emergency services levy on the federal government—as they blame everything on someone else—residents in Hindmarsh understand that this is a blatant cash grab by the Labor government after 12 years of financial mismanagement.

I thought it would be useful to give everyone the facts of the Australian federal government's commitment to funding health and education in South Australia. This year the federal budget provided a 27 per cent increase in the Australian government's school funding for South Australia over four years—a funding increase of $275 million—and, in health, a 34 per cent increase in hospital funding over four years, equating to $333 million. Just as importantly, $1 billion has been allocated for the North-South Corridor—something I fought hard to obtain and worked with the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Jamie Briggs, on—which includes the Torrens to Torrens project just on the outskirts of my electorate.

The Australian government is increasing funding for health, education and infrastructure. Labor in comparison has cut its own spending, having failed to manage its finances over 12 years. As Premier Jay Weatherill and Treasurer Mr Koutsantonis try to blame Canberra, it is their government that cut $1,476 million from the South Australian health budget and $210 million from the education budget, while increasing taxes.

The reality is that South Australia is the highest taxed state—so it cannot blame not receiving revenues—and also has the lowest growth. So there are some real problems that the South Australian Labor government is causing.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 10:5 4