Statutes Amendment (Budget Measures) Bill - Second Reading

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:01): I rise today to make a brief contribution to support the Statutes Amendment (Budget Measures) Bill 2024.

Notwithstanding some honourable members have already mentioned that this particular bill has not done enough to address the cost-of-living crisis, I wish to take this opportunity to highlight a few key measures that are included in the bill.

No doubt all of us in this place are well aware that South Australia is in the grip of a housing crisis, with a lack of supply and surging prices placing significant barriers on those trying to enter the housing market.

Stamp duty is the largest taxation liability when purchasing a new home, and a major impediment to home ownership and economic growth. It is encouraging to see that the government is making amendments to relevant legislation to remove the property stamp duty threshold for eligible first-home buyers on new homes or vacant land.

I am also supportive of removing the property value cap of $650,000 for the First Home Owner Grant. These measures will hopefully provide incentive for aspirational people trying to enter the home ownership market, improve housing affordability for first-home buyers and encourage an increase of supply in the market.

I am also encouraged by the fact that this bill includes an amendment to the Payroll Tax Act to create a payroll tax exemption on the wages of general practitioners related to bulk-billed services, but I join many honourable members in this place and the other place to argue that this measure does not go far enough.

We have seen that visiting a GP is getting more and more expensive, with a new report from healthcare directory Cleanbill showing that over the past year the average out-of-pocket cost for a GP visit increased by 4.1 per cent nationally.

Cleanbill also reported that patients are being bulk-billed less, with the proportion of bulk-billing clearly decreasing by 3.5 per cent nationally since last year. GPs already run on very thin margins and cannot absorb increasing costs such as the government's new payroll tax, which came into effect on 1 July 2024.

The rising cost of GP visits means that more South Australians are turning away from making appointments, leading to increased pressure on emergency departments and worse health outcomes for patients.

While the government argues that this payroll tax exemption on bulk-billed service is meant to be an incentive for GPs to bulk-bill more patients, the reality is that bulk-billing rates are decreasing and average South Australians are paying more at each visit.

This could compromise health outcomes for so many vulnerable members of our community. This matter seriously requires the attention of government to address. I understand many honourable members have proposed a number of amendments, and I will consider those amendments during debate and the committee stage. With those brief remarks, I commend the bill.