International Engagement Advisory Board

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Investment and Trade. Minister, what business experience do members of the International Engagement Advisory Board have?

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) (14:43): I thank the member for Kaurna for the question. The International Engagement Advisory Board's role is to guide, prioritise and advise on the state government's international engagement effort. Why did we form it? Because we had multiple boards—one for India, one for China—and we didn't want to have seven or eight boards, one for each country but, rather, one with expertise. So, we are actually making government more efficient.

The board has been operating since October 2015 and has met twice this year, with the final meeting for 2016 to be held in December. The board is chaired by the Premier, and membership comprises the state government's international strategic advisers and others with key responsibilities under economic priority 9: promoting South Australia's international connections and engagement.

There have been false claims that there is a lack of business representation on the board, and once again I find myself having to correct the misinformation being spread around by the member for Chaffey, who has taken a set against businesspeople in this state and clearly couldn't organise a Sunday barbecue. Speaking as the opposition's investment and trade—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister will be seated. The minister will not debate the answer: he will provide pertinent information to the house.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, sir. Speaking as the opposition's investment trade spokesman, the member said the government had 'snubbed' business—

Mr PISONI: Point of order: the minister has ignored your instruction not to debate. By quoting the member for Chaffey, he is entering debate.

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I will listen to the minister's answer, and meanwhile the member for Newland will depart for the remainder of question time.

The honourable member for Newland having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: The member said the government had 'snubbed' business by forming a board full of advisers and consultants. He said, 'I remain concerned about—

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Oh, they don't like it, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I'm sorry, I was distracted by my ejecting a government member from the house. What's the point of order?

Mr PENGILLY: The minister is again debating the matter, sir.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to what the minister has to say.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: The member for Chaffey said, 'I remain concerned about a lack of business representatives.' He said that publicly. Well, he is wrong, and I will be writing to key businesspeople reminding them of how they are being misrepresented by the king of negativity. Each of the International Engagement Advisory Board—

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Here he goes!

Mr PENGILLY: Reflection on another member.

The SPEAKER: The 'king of negativity'?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Is the clock still going?

The SPEAKER: Does anyone identify as the king of negativity and wish to complain about it? No? No-one wishes to object.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Each of the International Engagement Advisory Board members brings a mix of required skills, experience and expertise. Sean Keenihan is Chairman of Partners, Norman Waterhouse Lawyers and National Vice President of the Australia China Business Council.

Mr TARZIA: Point of order: sir, the people to which the minister—

Members interjecting:

Mr TARZIA: It's a point of order. Sir, the CVs to which the minister is referring are well documented in the public forum.

The SPEAKER: I'm sorry? Are you saying that the information the minister is providing—

Mr TARZIA: It's in the public forum, sir.

The SPEAKER: —is already—

Mr TARZIA: Absolutely.

The SPEAKER: —readily accessible?

Mr TARZIA: Absolutely, sir.

The SPEAKER: I will listen to what the minister has to say. Meanwhile, the member for Schubert will look it up.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Mr Keenihan is also Chairman of the South Australian Tourism Commission. Bill Muirhead is the founding member of advertising company M&C Saatchi & Saatchi and as of 2015 continues as the company's executive director. He is a former CE and president of Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide. Tim Harcourt is the JW Nevile Fellow in Economics at the Australian School of Business at the University of New South Wales, one of the best in the country. Rob Chapman is Deputy Chairman of the South Australian Economic Development Board, Chairman of the Adelaide Airport, the fastest growing capital city airport in Australia, and Chairman of Fortis Ago, an independent—these people have no business experience whatsoever. Compared to the geniuses opposite, these people know nothing.

Mr KNOLL: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Is the minister finished?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: No, I'm still going, sir.

The SPEAKER: Well, then, I will take the point of order. Member for Schubert.

Mr KNOLL: 127 again.

The SPEAKER: The minister's selection and arrangements of the facts are somewhat tendentious, but he is still offering the house information—

Mr Duluk: We don't want to hear it.

The SPEAKER: Yes, that's the point, isn't it? The opposition doesn't wish to hear the information the minister is supplying, but that doesn't make the information out of order.

Mr KNOLL: If you would check your email, all the information the minister is referring to is in your inbox as we speak.

The SPEAKER: Minister.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, sir. The fact is that members are appointed in an honorary capacity. They have significant business experience. They are helping the state to grow and support the 65,000 jobs that hinge on exports. And what have members opposite got—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Oh, Mr Wokinabox! Let's put Mr Wokinabox on the board. That would be fantastic. Doesn't he know a lot about business, Mr Speaker? The opposition expose their lack of credibility on business every day with such attacks. I strongly recommend to them that they get in touch with the business community.

Members interjecting:

Mr PISONI: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Yes, member for Unley, I can read the clock, and I warn for the second and final time the Minister for Health. The member for Adelaide.