Investment Attraction Agency

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (14:20): My question is to the Premier: can the Premier please inform the house how today's announcement of a new partnership between two local companies facilitated by the Investment Attraction Agency delivers on the government's economic priorities?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:20): I thank the member for her question. I had the great pleasure to join the Minister for Small Business, who is also the Minister for Investment and Trade, earlier today down in Regency Park to announce a big win for jobs in Adelaide's northern suburbs and a big win for the Investment Attraction Agency—the first fruits of the work of that agency.

Today we announce that ScreenAway, a South Australian start-up company which develops a unique retractable flyscreen and blockout blind, is partnering with an automotive supply company, Adelaide Tooling—which, of course, is facing a bleak future with the closure of the car industry—to actually create 300 jobs in South Australia based in the northern suburbs. This is a fantastic story for South Australia, and it is a fantastic story for the northern suburbs—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I notice those opposite are critical of this. I notice that there is not one word, not one word—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr GARDNER: Standing order 98: the Premier is debating. He is also attributing statements to members of the opposition that weren't said.

The SPEAKER: Normally, what the opposition does or doesn't do is not relevant to the answer, but I will listen to what the Premier has to say.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you. I am happy to ignore them, as most of South Australia does, but if they could stop interjecting, for once, because this is a piece of good news for South Australia and it deserves to be listened to, because it shows the future for the transformation of the South Australian economy. It is precisely the sort of thing—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It is precisely the sort of thing that we should be doing more of. It is a small, innovative company which has come up with a new product and a new design, and through the good offices of the Investment Attraction Agency, they have found Adelaide Tooling Company, a company in relative decline, and matched them up with this company. So instead of this—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Instead of ridiculing this, could you please listen to a South Australian good news story? And what they have done is they have connected up with a—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is called to order and the leader is warned for the second and the final time. Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Mr Speaker, they revel in bad news, but when it comes to good news, not one word of congratulation has emanated from those opposite. Not one word of congratulation to this fantastic South Australian company showing the way of our manufacturing for the future of this state.

Mr Knoll: The press release went out a few hours ago.

Mr Gardner: You're just misleading the house there, actually.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, Mr Speaker—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I would ask that the member for Morialta withdraw that accusation or move a substantive motion.

Mr GARDNER: I'll withdraw in the form.

The SPEAKER: I'm sorry?

Mr GARDNER: I'll withdraw in the form requested, sir.

The SPEAKER: No, I think you just withdraw.

Mr GARDNER: I withdraw.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The reason why this is such a powerful announcement for South Australia is that it speaks to a number of the key elements of our economic plan. It's about South Australia being the best place to do business. This company got in touch—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The Investment Attraction Agency set up its business on 1 October. Within a few days they were put in touch with it. Within a month, the handshake deal occurred. Within a few more months, we now have an investment-ready program where, of the—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —where, of the 45 employees that exist in Adelaide Tooling, 30 of them are now transitioning across to this new company with prospects of that growing to 100, and then 300 in two years' time. And this is before this company has even considered the overseas investment opportunities.

This is an extraordinary example of agility and speed from a new agency doing the very thing we set it up to do. The other element of our economic plan that it speaks directly to is innovation in start-ups—companies that actually have great ideas and are prepared to use their imagination and back their skill in and export to the nation and export to the world.

The SPEAKER: Supplementary, deputy leader.