Voters forgo sugar-hit as law and order tops budget

The Advertiser

a day ago

A $395 million "law and order" package to fund hundreds of extra police officers headlines a state budget forced to absorb the impact of a troubled steelworks and an escalating drought.
Delivering his fourth state budget on Thursday, South Australian Treasurer Stephen Mullighan had little to offer in the way of sweeteners before the state election in March.
The state is already committed to big-ticket road and hospital projects and has had to prop up the Whyalla steelworks and respond to a drought crisis.
Framing his budget as strategic investment balanced with fiscal discipline, Mr Mullighan said it provided the biggest boost to police funding in the state's history.
The law and order package includes $172 million across six years to recruit 326 officers, lifting numbers to 5000 by 2030/31.
More police security officers, civilianisation of administrative roles, and recruiting will deliver 630 extra police officers in frontline roles by 2031.
"We are providing SA police the funding for more personnel, better facilities and new equipment, so they are better resourced," he said.
But Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia said the government was not able to fill police vacancies, let alone recruit hundreds more.
The budget showed Labor was "out of money and out of ideas", he said.
"The budget has no new plan to solve the housing crisis, no plan to bring down power bills and no plan to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis," he said.
Mr Mullighan said there were no new or increased taxes and "our economy has gone from laggard to leader" since being elected in 2022.
"We have the lowest unemployment rate in the state's history, we are ranked the best place in the nation to do business, we have the best-performing housing market and are the lowest taxing state on the mainland," he said.
The mid-year budget review in December had predicted a surplus of $201 million, but this has shrunk to $18 million because of the Whyalla package and drought funding.
The budget allocates $650 million towards the $2.4 billion Whyalla "sovereign steel" package announced jointly with the federal government, as the administrator stabilises the steelworks and prepares it for sale.
In February, the state government took dramatic action in Whyalla, rushing through legislation so it could place the city's steelworks into the hands of administrators KordaMentha because of the mounting debts of OneSteel's owners, GFG Alliance.
"South Australians will not be taken for fools by fast-talking businessmen that continually break their promises to our state," Mr Mullighan said, referencing GFG chairman, UK billionaire Sanjeev Gupta.
The $73 million for drought relief had already been announced and there was no new money to relieve the escalating impact of record and near-record low rainfall across most of SA's farming regions in recent years.
The economy was predicted to grow by 1.25 per cent in 2024/25, rising to 1.75 in 2025/26 and 2.0 per cent in 2026/27.
The state's AA+ credit rating remains stable and SA had the best credit outlook of all states except Western Australia.
"This is what gives us the confidence to borrow, to invest in the infrastructure that's going to benefit future generations," Mr Mullighan said.
Debt will increase to fund projects such as the new Women's and Children's Hospital and the north-south corridor's South Rd tunnel and net debt will grow over the forward estimates to $48.5 billion by 2028/29.
Mr Tarzia described that figure as a "debt iceberg" that would cost almost $7 million a day in interest.
But Mr Mullighan said the government would have more capacity to tackle debt once infrastructure projects were built.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government was absorbing the cost of drought relief and the steelworks bailout while delivering record investments in infrastructure, health and housing.
Shadow treasurer Sam Telfer said that was "quite frankly insulting when government departments have blown their budgets by a combined $1.6 billion".
SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S BUDGET 2025/26:
* Surplus: $179 million
* Revenue: $31.369 billion
* Expenditure: $31.190 billion
* Net debt: $35.539 billion
* GST revenue: $9.529 billion
* Unemployment rate: 3.9 per cent (current)
* Five biggest spending areas: health ($9.91 billion), education ($4.622 billion), infrastructure and transport ($1.965 billion), police ($1.269 billion), child protection ($877 million).
A $395 million "law and order" package to fund hundreds of extra police officers headlines a state budget forced to absorb the impact of a troubled steelworks and an escalating drought.
Delivering his fourth state budget on Thursday, South Australian Treasurer Stephen Mullighan had little to offer in the way of sweeteners before the state election in March.
The state is already committed to big-ticket road and hospital projects and has had to prop up the Whyalla steelworks and respond to a drought crisis.
Framing his budget as strategic investment balanced with fiscal discipline, Mr Mullighan said it provided the biggest boost to police funding in the state's history.
The law and order package includes $172 million across six years to recruit 326 officers, lifting numbers to 5000 by 2030/31.
More police security officers, civilianisation of administrative roles, and recruiting will deliver 630 extra police officers in frontline roles by 2031.
"We are providing SA police the funding for more personnel, better facilities and new equipment, so they are better resourced," he said.
But Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia said the government was not able to fill police vacancies, let alone recruit hundreds more.
The budget showed Labor was "out of money and out of ideas", he said.
"The budget has no new plan to solve the housing crisis, no plan to bring down power bills and no plan to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis," he said.
Mr Mullighan said there were no new or increased taxes and "our economy has gone from laggard to leader" since being elected in 2022.
"We have the lowest unemployment rate in the state's history, we are ranked the best place in the nation to do business, we have the best-performing housing market and are the lowest taxing state on the mainland," he said.
The mid-year budget review in December had predicted a surplus of $201 million, but this has shrunk to $18 million because of the Whyalla package and drought funding.
The budget allocates $650 million towards the $2.4 billion Whyalla "sovereign steel" package announced jointly with the federal government, as the administrator stabilises the steelworks and prepares it for sale.
In February, the state government took dramatic action in Whyalla, rushing through legislation so it could place the city's steelworks into the hands of administrators KordaMentha because of the mounting debts of OneSteel's owners, GFG Alliance.
"South Australians will not be taken for fools by fast-talking businessmen that continually break their promises to our state," Mr Mullighan said, referencing GFG chairman, UK billionaire Sanjeev Gupta.
The $73 million for drought relief had already been announced and there was no new money to relieve the escalating impact of record and near-record low rainfall across most of SA's farming regions in recent years.
The economy was predicted to grow by 1.25 per cent in 2024/25, rising to 1.75 in 2025/26 and 2.0 per cent in 2026/27.
The state's AA+ credit rating remains stable and SA had the best credit outlook of all states except Western Australia.
"This is what gives us the confidence to borrow, to invest in the infrastructure that's going to benefit future generations," Mr Mullighan said.
Debt will increase to fund projects such as the new Women's and Children's Hospital and the north-south corridor's South Rd tunnel and net debt will grow over the forward estimates to $48.5 billion by 2028/29.
Mr Tarzia described that figure as a "debt iceberg" that would cost almost $7 million a day in interest.
But Mr Mullighan said the government would have more capacity to tackle debt once infrastructure projects were built.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government was absorbing the cost of drought relief and the steelworks bailout while delivering record investments in infrastructure, health and housing.
Shadow treasurer Sam Telfer said that was "quite frankly insulting when government departments have blown their budgets by a combined $1.6 billion".
SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S BUDGET 2025/26:
* Surplus: $179 million
* Revenue: $31.369 billion
* Expenditure: $31.190 billion
* Net debt: $35.539 billion
* GST revenue: $9.529 billion
* Unemployment rate: 3.9 per cent (current)
* Five biggest spending areas: health ($9.91 billion), education ($4.622 billion), infrastructure and transport ($1.965 billion), police ($1.269 billion), child protection ($877 million).
A $395 million "law and order" package to fund hundreds of extra police officers headlines a state budget forced to absorb the impact of a troubled steelworks and an escalating drought.
Delivering his fourth state budget on Thursday, South Australian Treasurer Stephen Mullighan had little to offer in the way of sweeteners before the state election in March.
The state is already committed to big-ticket road and hospital projects and has had to prop up the Whyalla steelworks and respond to a drought crisis.
Framing his budget as strategic investment balanced with fiscal discipline, Mr Mullighan said it provided the biggest boost to police funding in the state's history.
The law and order package includes $172 million across six years to recruit 326 officers, lifting numbers to 5000 by 2030/31.
More police security officers, civilianisation of administrative roles, and recruiting will deliver 630 extra police officers in frontline roles by 2031.
"We are providing SA police the funding for more personnel, better facilities and new equipment, so they are better resourced," he said.
But Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia said the government was not able to fill police vacancies, let alone recruit hundreds more.
The budget showed Labor was "out of money and out of ideas", he said.
"The budget has no new plan to solve the housing crisis, no plan to bring down power bills and no plan to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis," he said.
Mr Mullighan said there were no new or increased taxes and "our economy has gone from laggard to leader" since being elected in 2022.
"We have the lowest unemployment rate in the state's history, we are ranked the best place in the nation to do business, we have the best-performing housing market and are the lowest taxing state on the mainland," he said.
The mid-year budget review in December had predicted a surplus of $201 million, but this has shrunk to $18 million because of the Whyalla package and drought funding.
The budget allocates $650 million towards the $2.4 billion Whyalla "sovereign steel" package announced jointly with the federal government, as the administrator stabilises the steelworks and prepares it for sale.
In February, the state government took dramatic action in Whyalla, rushing through legislation so it could place the city's steelworks into the hands of administrators KordaMentha because of the mounting debts of OneSteel's owners, GFG Alliance.
"South Australians will not be taken for fools by fast-talking businessmen that continually break their promises to our state," Mr Mullighan said, referencing GFG chairman, UK billionaire Sanjeev Gupta.
The $73 million for drought relief had already been announced and there was no new money to relieve the escalating impact of record and near-record low rainfall across most of SA's farming regions in recent years.
The economy was predicted to grow by 1.25 per cent in 2024/25, rising to 1.75 in 2025/26 and 2.0 per cent in 2026/27.
The state's AA+ credit rating remains stable and SA had the best credit outlook of all states except Western Australia.
"This is what gives us the confidence to borrow, to invest in the infrastructure that's going to benefit future generations," Mr Mullighan said.
Debt will increase to fund projects such as the new Women's and Children's Hospital and the north-south corridor's South Rd tunnel and net debt will grow over the forward estimates to $48.5 billion by 2028/29.
Mr Tarzia described that figure as a "debt iceberg" that would cost almost $7 million a day in interest.
But Mr Mullighan said the government would have more capacity to tackle debt once infrastructure projects were built.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government was absorbing the cost of drought relief and the steelworks bailout while delivering record investments in infrastructure, health and housing.
Shadow treasurer Sam Telfer said that was "quite frankly insulting when government departments have blown their budgets by a combined $1.6 billion".
SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S BUDGET 2025/26:
* Surplus: $179 million
* Revenue: $31.369 billion
* Expenditure: $31.190 billion
* Net debt: $35.539 billion
* GST revenue: $9.529 billion
* Unemployment rate: 3.9 per cent (current)
* Five biggest spending areas: health ($9.91 billion), education ($4.622 billion), infrastructure and transport ($1.965 billion), police ($1.269 billion), child protection ($877 million).
A $395 million "law and order" package to fund hundreds of extra police officers headlines a state budget forced to absorb the impact of a troubled steelworks and an escalating drought.
Delivering his fourth state budget on Thursday, South Australian Treasurer Stephen Mullighan had little to offer in the way of sweeteners before the state election in March.
The state is already committed to big-ticket road and hospital projects and has had to prop up the Whyalla steelworks and respond to a drought crisis.
Framing his budget as strategic investment balanced with fiscal discipline, Mr Mullighan said it provided the biggest boost to police funding in the state's history.
The law and order package includes $172 million across six years to recruit 326 officers, lifting numbers to 5000 by 2030/31.
More police security officers, civilianisation of administrative roles, and recruiting will deliver 630 extra police officers in frontline roles by 2031.
"We are providing SA police the funding for more personnel, better facilities and new equipment, so they are better resourced," he said.
But Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia said the government was not able to fill police vacancies, let alone recruit hundreds more.
The budget showed Labor was "out of money and out of ideas", he said.
"The budget has no new plan to solve the housing crisis, no plan to bring down power bills and no plan to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis," he said.
Mr Mullighan said there were no new or increased taxes and "our economy has gone from laggard to leader" since being elected in 2022.
"We have the lowest unemployment rate in the state's history, we are ranked the best place in the nation to do business, we have the best-performing housing market and are the lowest taxing state on the mainland," he said.
The mid-year budget review in December had predicted a surplus of $201 million, but this has shrunk to $18 million because of the Whyalla package and drought funding.
The budget allocates $650 million towards the $2.4 billion Whyalla "sovereign steel" package announced jointly with the federal government, as the administrator stabilises the steelworks and prepares it for sale.
In February, the state government took dramatic action in Whyalla, rushing through legislation so it could place the city's steelworks into the hands of administrators KordaMentha because of the mounting debts of OneSteel's owners, GFG Alliance.
"South Australians will not be taken for fools by fast-talking businessmen that continually break their promises to our state," Mr Mullighan said, referencing GFG chairman, UK billionaire Sanjeev Gupta.
The $73 million for drought relief had already been announced and there was no new money to relieve the escalating impact of record and near-record low rainfall across most of SA's farming regions in recent years.
The economy was predicted to grow by 1.25 per cent in 2024/25, rising to 1.75 in 2025/26 and 2.0 per cent in 2026/27.
The state's AA+ credit rating remains stable and SA had the best credit outlook of all states except Western Australia.
"This is what gives us the confidence to borrow, to invest in the infrastructure that's going to benefit future generations," Mr Mullighan said.
Debt will increase to fund projects such as the new Women's and Children's Hospital and the north-south corridor's South Rd tunnel and net debt will grow over the forward estimates to $48.5 billion by 2028/29.
Mr Tarzia described that figure as a "debt iceberg" that would cost almost $7 million a day in interest.
But Mr Mullighan said the government would have more capacity to tackle debt once infrastructure projects were built.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government was absorbing the cost of drought relief and the steelworks bailout while delivering record investments in infrastructure, health and housing.
Shadow treasurer Sam Telfer said that was "quite frankly insulting when government departments have blown their budgets by a combined $1.6 billion".
SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S BUDGET 2025/26:
* Surplus: $179 million
* Revenue: $31.369 billion
* Expenditure: $31.190 billion
* Net debt: $35.539 billion
* GST revenue: $9.529 billion
* Unemployment rate: 3.9 per cent (current)
* Five biggest spending areas: health ($9.91 billion), education ($4.622 billion), infrastructure and transport ($1.965 billion), police ($1.269 billion), child protection ($877 million).