KANGAROO ISLAND SURFING COMPETITION

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. Can the Minister for Tourism inform the house about the surfing competition to be held on Kangaroo Island this November?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Tourism.

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Urban Development, Planning and the City of Adelaide, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Food Marketing) (14:32): I would like to thank the honourable member for that question. As all of us know, and in particular the member for Finniss—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Finniss! I can see him in the surfing competition, but he will be quiet while the minister answers the question—old hippie from way back!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I have to say, Madam Speaker, that the member for Finniss is, in fact, an enthusiastic supporter of this great event, which is going to happen on his beautiful island, part of his magnificent electorate. It is going to be at Vivonne Bay. We are going to have some world-class surfing identities coming to Australia.

It is actually very exciting because this event will be occurring just before the final event in Hawaii, and, at that event in Hawaii, the people who will have just been to Kangaroo Island will be assembling their final round of points for the championship. So, it will be absolutely critical for these surfers to get down to Kangaroo Island and be involved in the event.

It is going to be in November this year, between the 4^th and the 9^th. We are expecting there to be as many as 5,000 people travelling to the island over the course of that period to have a look at what is going on. It is actually a magnificent event for Kangaroo Island. I am hoping that, perhaps, the member for Finniss, or some of the other members opposite, might get out those big boards they have got in the shed and wander down to Vivonne Bay. The one person I can confidently say we will not be seeing down there with his great board and long shorts is the Hon. Terry Stephens because he, very unkindly, described this as a second-rate event and a waste of everybody's time. I can imagine the embarrassment of the member for Finniss who, quite rightly, is proud of his magnificent island, when his colleague just fires off with such an uninformed and silly comment as that.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Who is he? Terry who?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: He is a chap from the other place. He obviously does not know much about Kangaroo Island or surfing. So, anyway, all of us are looking forward to this and I would encourage all members to join the honourable member for Finniss and me down there in November with our big surfboards.

Mr Pengilly: Bring the Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I think the Premier will be there; he is keen. It is going to be a fantastic event.

The SPEAKER: The member for Finniss in a wetsuit—yes! The member for Waite.