Question Time

TRADE PROMOTION, PUGLIA REGION

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:26): My question is to the Premier. What is the total of taxpayer dollars spent on the government's special relationship with the Puglia region, including ministerial travel, the special envoy to the region, the Fiera del Levante and any other expenses; and will the Premier provide an annual breakdown of these costs?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:27): Absolutely. I would be very happy to do that. Can I just say, I have noticed with interest some of the things that have been raised.

Mr Williams: Just answer the question.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I will.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier is on his feet.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: On 12 May 2007, I announced in a press release:

Mike Rann has signed a special sister state relationship between South Australia and Italy's southern region of Puglia. The MOU aims to boost trade investment, science research and development, university collaboration and teacher exchanges, tourism and cultural exchanges between South Australia and Puglia. Premier Rann met President of the Puglia region, Mr Nicki Vendola, for the joint signing at the regional government headquarters in Bari, the capital of Puglia. Mr Rann also had a series of meetings with the vice-president, minister's department, heads, mayors and business and university leaders.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I know, I am getting onto that.

I am delighted to have signed this MOU between South Australia and Puglia. We already have a twinning agreement with the Campagna region. I am keen to develop the closest possible relationship between South Australia and southern Italy. Puglia and South Australia share many common and complementary strengths, particularly in the area of agrifood, manufacture of mechanical, electrical and optical devices and machines, general engineering information and communications; biotechnology, nanotechnology, food processing and automotive. We are both major wine and food producers and have big investments in aquaculture.

So it goes on. Then it goes onto the next page and it talks about—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No, you are not going to say that somehow this was hidden. This is what we said we would do.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: This is what we announced publicly and this is what we are doing.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear the Premier. The last question time was terrible, I could not hear, and I am sure it is twice as bad for the rest of the house. You will listen to the Premier in silence.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: So, what happened is that we announced on that day publicly—and we know that the journalists know this because they would have copies of the press release—that initiatives already in the pipeline included the Fiera del Levante.

The state government plans to lead an agrifood and business delegation to attend the Fiera del Levante, southern Italy's giant expo, in September.

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order. Premier, sit down. Leader of the Opposition.

Mrs REDMOND: It is a question of relevance. I asked a very straightforward question about the cost to the taxpayers of South Australia of this engagement.

The SPEAKER: Premier, I think you need to get to the explanation fairly quickly.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: What was announced was that there would be $1.2 million from the state government of South Australia and $1.2 million from the state government of Puglia to actually have things going because for years we have had sister state relationships. We do not hear Martin Hamilton-Smith complaining about our special envoy to the USA because he used to go there to G'Day USA. That was John Olsen, until recently. We also had a relationship that was announced with Texas. We don't hear them attack the relationship with Shandong in China started 25 years ago.

The SPEAKER: Point of order. The member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: The Premier is defying your ruling from only a minute ago, Madam Speaker. I think you directed him to get to the substance of the question, which is about the dollars.

The SPEAKER: I think he had started to, but I will listen very carefully. Premier, have you more to say?

The Hon. M.D. RANN: So, we have all of these relationships going; none of those state sister state relationships has been attacked by the Liberals except against Italy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: That's why we are proud to be spending more than $1 million on that relationship because it is about getting things happening, just as we did with China.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Nothing was happening with China until John Bannon got involved with Shandong.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, the member for Bragg.

Ms CHAPMAN: I will move the substantive motion because the Premier misled the house. He told you and the house that he was going to get to that and answer the question. We have not one answer.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: One point of order at a time.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: She is not entitled to allege that without a substantive motion.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: She just said she moved it.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Well, she hasn't.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Treasurer, sit down. I have not made a ruling on the member for Bragg's substantive motion because I was waiting for the substantive motion to happen, so I gather there was no substantive motion. Treasurer, do you have a point of order?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I was going to ask that very point.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! This is getting ridiculous.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Sit down, member for Unley. This is getting ridiculous. We can go out and have a cup of tea and disband question time if you don't behave. We will move onto the next question. Member for Torrens.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I warn the member for Unley!