NORTHERN ECONOMIC PLAN

        The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:29): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking
the Minister for Employment a question about jobs in northern Adelaide.

        Leave granted.

        The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: There has been a lot of focus on the unemployment rate in
Adelaide's north, which currently sits at 8.7 per cent, which is the highest in South Australia. Data
from ABS labour force region SA4 has shown a significant decline in jobs in certain industries over
the 12-month period from February 2016-17 in accommodation and food services, which declined
from 15,900 jobs to 9,900, and in transport, postal and warehousing, which declined from 13,500 jobs
to 10,700. These figures are amongst the biggest drops across Australia. My questions to the minister
are:

1. Given these large decreases across several industries, which are meant to be
growing, can the minister explain how he expects to fulfil the promise of 15,000 jobs announced as
part of the Northern Economic Plan?

2. In which industries are those 15,000 jobs located?

3. How many jobs have been created in the northern area since the minister made that
15,000 job promise, and how many have been lost over the same period?

        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) (14:30): I thank the honourable
member for her question, which is very similar, I think, to a question the Hon. Jing Lee asked                                                   just last week in relation to jobs in northern Adelaide. Certainly, there are some areas that are growing in
northern Adelaide. An example that is often talked about is the growth in jobs in the food
manufacturing area. For 17 years in a row, food manufacturing has been growing in northern
Adelaide, year on year. There are other areas where jobs have been growing right across South
Australia.

        Whilst it is true that there are some areas that have seen job declines, there are areas that
have seen job increases. We talked about it just last week, or the week before, the fact that except
for one month over the last 18 months employment has grown every month, month on month, in
South Australia. Every month, month on month, employment has grown in South Australia.

        Members interjecting:

        The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I know it is an inconvenient fact, and it is probably not one the
member opposite has looked at or understands particularly well, but there is a point to be made when
you contrast the plans for northern Adelaide between the Labor and Liberal parties. Last year, we
put over $24 million into a northern Adelaide economic plan, the Northern Economic Plan. We have
had one suggestion for policies from those opposite that would go to this: their 2036 plan. From their
2036 plan, do you know how many times it mentions northern Adelaide? Not once. Do you know how
many times it mentions Holden workers or automotive? Not a single time.

        An honourable member: Not once.

        The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Not once. Do you know how many times it mentions submarines?
Not a single time. Do you know how many costings or what sort of detail about policies there is? Not
a single thing—not a single thing.

        The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: It's a broad document.

        The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Do you know how much detail there is? Very, very little. It does
mention things, because it is a broad document. It mentions the word 'believe' 159 times. Just
because you want or believe something to be true or you believe something, it is not the case. You
have to have details and you have to have policies. I am very proud of what this government has
done in supporting workers and in supporting industries in northern Adelaide. It stands in stark
contrast to what those on the other side have put forward.

        The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:33): At the risk of being labelled—that I am quoting
Grease—tell me more! Can you please tell me more about some of the industries that are doing well
and others that aren't and where the jobs have come from and where they have gone from? Rather
than this sort of deflecting tactic that you guys use all the time, can you just give us some details for
once?

        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) (14:33): I will be more than
happy to give a very detailed response and bring back some very detailed areas where jobs are
coming from. I have talked about this in the house before, and I am sure if the honourable member
looks back in Hansard she will find some, but I am happy to come back with even greater detail.

        The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:33): Further supplementary: is the minister saying that he
doesn't actually have any details about which industries his 15,000 job promise was to come from?
Does he not even have that information on him to provide to us?

        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) (14:34): These jobs are going
to come from a range of industries. I have mentioned one already: food manufacturing. Defence will
be providing jobs in northern Adelaide. The NDIS, we have talked about, is providing almost 2,000 jobs in northern Adelaide. These are a few of the areas that we have concentrated on in the Northern Economic Plan, and rightly so because we know that is where jobs are going to be.