TOUR DOWN UNDER

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (14:54): How does the Treasurer reconcile the conflicting versions of payments made to the Tour Down Under rider, Lance Armstrong, and did the government make the appropriate taxation arrangements? On Friday 26 September last year, the Treasurer told ABC Radio:

Lance Armstrong is getting no money from the government for his race here in South Australia at all. He will be here promoting cancer research, and the taxpayer is not being asked to provide financial support to Mr Armstrong at all.

On 18 January this year, TheNew York Times reported a contrasting version from Mr Armstrong himself. The report stated:

Armstrong did not specify the amount of his fee but said that contrary to what had been reported here last week, he was not donating the fee to his foundation but treating it as income, the same way he has his other speaking and appearance fees since retirement.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (14:55): I probably should have let the Minister for Tourism answer that because it was under her responsibility.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I said something on 26 September last year. What month are we in now? Give me a break.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition and the member for MacKillop will come to order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Only the Liberal Party would criticise Lance Armstrong coming to Adelaide. As the Leader of the Opposition would recall—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Sorry?

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: As the Leader of the Opposition would recall, when we were in New York together—

An honourable member: The odd couple!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The odd couple; that is true. On the back page of the most widely read newspaper in America, US Today, there was a whole page (just about) of South Australia and what Lance Armstrong was doing.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That in itself would have been advertising which would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, I would assume.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for MacKillop.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I remember that the Los Angeles Times had a lot of information. It was on CNN, in TheWashington Post and everywhere else. At the time of that comment that I would have made on radio, if one looked at the interview I think it was a day or two after the deal had been announced. If I was not fully across the details at that point then I apologise.