SA Liberals and Labor differ wildly on how much they say election promises will cost
Ben Hood says the Liberals' costings have been independently reviewed. (ABC News)
In short:
The Liberals say their $3.4 billion in promises will be more than offset by savings.
Labor says its $2.2 billion in commitments will add $749 million to state debt.
What's next?
Both parties plan to target the public service to save costs.
South Australia's treasurer and shadow treasurer have clashed over the Liberal Party's costings, with Labor saying the opposition's promises will cost $2.4 billion more than they say.
Releasing their costings two days out from the election, the Liberals say half of their $3.4 billion in promises will be offset by not filling one in two non-frontline public sector jobs when they become vacant.
Shadow Treasurer Ben Hood said this and other savings would result in a $78 million improvement in the state's debt position over the next four years.
"We are extremely proud of what we are taking here to the people of South Australia," Mr Hood said.
But the Treasurer, Tom Koutsantonis, estimated the Liberals' policies would cost $5.8 billion because they were underestimating the cost for projects like adding a lane to the South Eastern Freeway and building a new Barossa Hospital.
He said figures for the projects provided by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport and SA Health showed much higher costs than the Liberals had estimated.
"There is not a level of savings that can offset $5.8 billion. The only way you can offset that is to increase taxes,"Mr Koutsantonis said.
Tom Koutsantonis says Labor's promises will add $749 million to the state's debt. (ABC News)
Slowing public sector growth
Labor also released its costings on Thursday.
Mr Koutsantonis said the total cost of Labor's commitments over the next three years was $2.2 billion, adding $749 million to the state's debt.
He said there would be savings through slowing down the increase in public sector employment.
"We make sure that we don't target frontline services," he said.
"Some of those measures for example are not increasing — slowing down — the rate of increase of head count, of FTE [full-time equivalent] positions within the public sector.
"It's not cuts, it's just slowing down the growth."
Mr Hood said the Liberal policies were "fully costed and full offset" and independently reviewed, but the party did not have access to public servants like Labor to cost projects ahead of the campaign period.
One Nation wants savings
One Nation did not release any costings of its policies.
Lead candidate Cory Bernardi said money could be saved by cutting waste, pointing to overspending on the federal National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The party would also get rid of the SA Voice to Parliament.
"There are common sense solutions that are necessary, you've just got to have the guts to take them on — to take the bureaucrats on — and you've got to have the nous to make sure the ministry works properly," Mr Bernardi said.
The Greens say they will pay for their $13.8 billion in policies mostly by raising taxes, including through $9.7 billion extra in mining and petroleum royalties, $2 billion from a bank levy and $1.1 billion from a tax on vacant houses.