12 September 2024
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (11:40): I rise to speak briefly on the Appropriation Bill. As is often the case when it comes to—
Members interjecting:
The PRESIDENT: Order! I cannot hear the Hon. Mr Simms.
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: —these discussions about budgets and appropriation, they are often defined more by what is missing and my big concern around what we have seen from the Labor government to date is that they are not doing enough to tackle the cost-of-living crisis that is gripping our state. There is not enough of a focus on building more public housing and building more social housing.
I had an opportunity to go along to the announcement of the Housing Roadmap a few months ago. The launch of that event was organised in conjunction with the Property Council. When I saw the details of the announcement, I realised why: because developers are getting a free kick and there is no new funding other than what had already been announced for more social housing to get the housing crisis under control.
That is not acceptable when one considers we have about 16,000 people on the social housing waitlist—16,000 people who are desperate for a roof over their head and a place to call home. Meanwhile, Labor is delivering a surplus—delivering a surplus while we have people sleeping on the street. There is something very wrong about the priorities of this government in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
The Liberals have talked a lot about roads. Well, what about public transport? Once again, we are not seeing the appropriate investment in public transport in the regions or in metropolitan South Australia. While other states are making public transport free to reduce the cost that families are facing at the bowser and to reduce the effects of climate change, in South Australia we are actually seeing public transport prices going up and, again, that is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and in the middle of a climate crisis.
Where also is the leadership in terms of addressing the imbalances that exist in our housing market? Where is the action on rent prices? Why did Labor not come out and back the Greens' push for a rent freeze for two years to stop rent prices from going up and up and up? Why have Labor not taken action on vacant properties, as has happened in other states around the country? Where is the leadership on that? Why are they not taking action on Airbnbs? These things are starving our state of the vital housing we need.
Where is the leadership from Labor on energy prices? Why will they not support the Greens' push for a commission of inquiry into bringing back ETSA and ensuring that we have electricity that is owned by the people of South Australia and operates for the benefit of the people of South Australia? Low cost, publicly owned renewable electricity—we can do it if there is the political leadership from the government to make it happen.
I do not want to let the opposition off the hook, though, because it is clear that they have no vision to deal with the cost-of-living crisis in our state and no plan to actually reorient the economy here to ensure that it works for people. I heard the Leader of the Opposition in one of his first interviews. He was at the Royal Adelaide Show last week being interviewed by David Bevan. He was asked about what he would do to get the health system back under control. He was asked quite directly, 'Would you support new taxes? What new revenue measures would you back?' 'Oh, no. No new taxes.' 'What about debt? Would you take on more debt?' 'Oh, no. No debt.' 'Well, what about cutting public services?' 'Oh, no, we're not cutting any public services, and we're not going to be stopping any government projects.'
The question is: what would they do differently? I note that the opposition leader was at the Show. Perhaps he was looking for the recipe for a magic pudding, because that is the only way that the Liberal Party can make good on their promises, given they are not going to increase revenue and they are not going to cut services. Really, they are found wanting when it comes to a vision for the people of South Australia and a vision for the state budget.
Lucky the Greens are here to raise these issues—and we will continue. I note the attacks on me in the other place by Jack Batty, the member for Bragg, where he has slightly misrepresented some of the policy positions the Greens have taken, but at least we are putting forward ideas that are costed and can be done if there is the political will to do so, rather than promoting the ludicrous magic pudding economics of the Liberal opposition.