Supply Bill 2025

The Hon. J.S. LEE (11:38): 

I rise today to speak on the Supply Bill 2025. The Supply Bill is essential to ensure the continued operation of government, enabling government to access necessary funds until the Appropriation Bill. To uphold the convention and respect for the work of our public sector, I will be supporting the Supply Bill to ensure that payments can continue to the Public Service, government departments and vital ongoing programs.

However, I will use this opportunity to highlight a number of areas where I believe the government can do more, can do better, to support our community and enable business and industry to grow our economy. Easing the cost-of-living burden on individuals and families remains a key priority for me and should be for the government as well. It is an issue that is continually raised with me by community members across South Australia.

I had the privilege to be on the Select Committee on Grocery Pricing in South Australia last year, where we heard from a wide range of witnesses and conducted a number of site visits with the Hon. Robert Simms across metropolitan and regional South Australia. From this evidence, the committee found that there is a lack of transparency around grocery pricing in South Australia and that this is a factor contributing to high prices, which are placing increased pressure on South Australian families.

I once again highlight the recommendations made by the select committee and urge the government to seriously consider implementing budget measures, such as providing additional cost-of-living relief, additional support to charities and support agencies that provide access to low cost food, and the potential for a payroll tax exemption for fresh produce businesses and primary production food businesses to reduce costs to industry and encourage competition.

On the topic of payroll tax, 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 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 a payroll tax exemption on bulk-billed services 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. The government must address this issue when handing down its budget this afternoon and abolish the GP payroll tax and make GP visits more affordable, to reduce pressure on ramping and on our hospital system.

While on the topic of payroll tax reform, I believe the government can go further. Our current payroll tax system is not fair and does not adequately take into account the growing financial pressures on small and medium-sized businesses due to national wage increases, increased superannuation rates and WorkCover insurance. Many small businesses are now facing substantial increases in weekly payroll costs and are forced to make difficult decisions about pricing, staffing and service delivery.

I have heard from countless business owners who tell me that payroll tax is a key consideration when deciding whether they should take on new staff, and that it seriously hinders their ability and ambition to grow and contribute to our state's economy. I urge the Labor government to review the state payroll tax system, raise the payroll tax threshold for small business and ensure that we can support decent wages for workers and the sustainability of small business across South Australia.

In my continual engagement with stakeholders and industry leaders, another issue that is raised with me time and again is that of crime and community safety. Just this week, I have given notice of a motion highlighting the growing impact that crime and antisocial behaviour is having on South Australian businesses, particularly within the hotel and hospitality sector. The increasing frequency and violence of organised and repeat offenders targeting bottle shops and licensed venues and exposure of hospitality staff to abuse and unsafe working conditions is unacceptable. This Supply Bill has not dealt with any of these issues. I note that the Australian Hotels Association is calling on the state government to:

• introduce stronger legal consequences for repeat and violent offenders targeting licensed venues;
• investigate the implementation of exclusion orders or similar legal tools to prevent re-entry by known offenders; and
• provide financial support to hospitality venues for crime prevention infrastructure, following the example set by other jurisdictions.

I urge the government to consider these proposals from the hotel industry to help address crime and increase worker and community safety.

I have also spoken recently about a number of fantastic programs addressing skills shortages in key industries across our state, such as the BuildConnect program, pioneered by Master Builders SA in partnership with government. Business and industry sectors across South Australia are crying out for more workers in construction, engineering, IT, even space and defence while, at the same time, we have thousands of skilled migrants already living in South Australia who are underemployed and not working in their chosen career.

This program connects skilled migrants with job opportunities that match their experience and qualifications, providing case management, mentoring and transition services that are customised and aimed at creating greater outcomes for both workers and businesses. These pilot programs are showing great potential to get people into jobs, but they need long-term funding to scale up and sustain their impact.

For instance, there are around 2,500 international students enrolled in building and construction courses in South Australia, with many eager to stay, to live and to work in our state, but are often unable to put their qualifications to good use in an industry that desperately needs them. I call on the state government to create post-study opportunities and job-ready programs that help us to retain the brightest minds and talent in South Australia, and work with the federal government to ensure visa and residency pathways align with our skills needs.

I want to finally turn my attention to regional child care. I want to briefly touch on this issue because it greatly impacts our regional economies and communities, stifling the economic development and potential of regional South Australian communities, and is also hampering the wellbeing of children and families across much of our state.

Critical childcare shortages across most of our regions are forcing parents to drive long distances to drop their children at childcare centres, relying on family and friends to provide care, or having to step back from their work and careers altogether to care for their children. The flow-on impacts for families, businesses and communities should not be underestimated. The Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project has called for increased funding for the state government's Rural Care Program to expand the program to more regional and remote communities with limited childcare options. I echo these calls and hope to also see funding allocated for regional early learning infrastructure in the state government's budget announcement this afternoon because it is currently missing from the Supply Bill.

From my engagement with constituents from all walks of life, from all cultures, industries, businesses and backgrounds, it is clear that addressing the challenges of the cost of living, providing better access to quality health care, education and social services, supporting industries and initiatives to grow our economy, and building a safe and inclusive economy are the key priorities we must focus on as elected representatives, and should be priorities for this government.

I am committed to putting our community first and will always continue to take every opportunity to speak about government priorities. Today, I commend the bill and call on the government to help build our state's prosperity.