Industry Development

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:42): A supplementary to the Treasurer, who is also the Minister for State Development: do you know what the investment and promotion advisory board is and can you explain to the parliament why it doesn't have any members other than the chairman, Mr Rob Chapman, seven months after the government's announcement about this initiative?

The SPEAKER: Does the Treasurer know and can the Treasurer explain?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:42): Thank you, Mr Speaker, and, again, I thank the deputy leader for her question. The entity to which she refers does not exist. I think what she is trying to say is that the Investment Attraction Agency has a board, which does not go by the name she has just described it as. Mr Speaker—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is about to depart.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —good government depends on both sides of the house understanding the issues, reading their briefs and being able to ask and answer competent questions. I would appeal to the deputy leader to do her homework. If she wants a brief on the Investment Attraction Agency, I am happy to provide it, but get the terminology right.

To get to the point, I will say that, if she is referring to the board of the Investment Attraction Agency, chaired by Rob Chapman (and I think she is but if she could just check her homework a little better we will clarify that), I can tell her that the government will have more to say about that in coming weeks. You know what: we are going to put together a very good board for the Investment Attraction Agency and I know that the opposition is dying to know more about it so all will be revealed when the government is ready.