After-hours GPs, tax relief pitch in budget reply
In the South Australian parliament on Tuesday, Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia responded to the Malinauskas government's June 5 budget, in a speech that was also a pitch to voters before the state election in March.
The budget was "arrogant and visionless" and was filled with "spin, debt, broken promises and bad priorities", he said.
"The cost of living is crushing, home ownership is slipping out of reach, our health system is under incredible pressure, crime is spiralling and our regions are in drought, desperate for support," Mr Tarzia said.
Meanwhile, "Party Pete" was "riding the wave of event after event, often on the taxpayer dime", he said in reference to Premier Peter Malinauskas.
"The likes of Sam Smith, Greg Norman, Katy Perry … that's where he's most comfortable," he said.
Mr Tarzia announced a two-year trial to offer $150,000 grants to GP clinics to help cover the cost of opening until 8pm on weekdays and on Sundays.
"We will abolish Labor's water bill price hike, we'll scrap Labor's GP payroll tax grab and we'll slash stamp duty for first homebuyers, including on existing homes," he said.
First homebuyers purchasing an existing home of up to $1 million would not pay stamp duty, saving up to $48,000 in upfront costs, and the Liberals would also waive the $192 mortgage registration fee.
Treasurer Stephen Mullighan's budget was headlined by a $395 million "law and order" package to fund hundreds of extra police officers, but existing commitments to big-ticket road and hospital projects and net debt of $35.5 billion, left it little room to move on big new investments.
Mr Tarzia said the government's $73 million drought package provided "little relief" to farmers and regional communities doing it tough.
"So far, their response has been nothing but disgraceful," he said.
The government needed to create a drought hardship registry, fast-track relief with targeted rebates, subsidise water carting and deliver low or no interest loans for fodder and fertiliser, he said.
Mr Tarzia criticised the government on hospital ramping, which was "worse than ever" and broken promises on a $600 million hydrogen plant was shelved to help fund the Whyalla steelworks package.
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