Tourism

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (15:30): I rise today to reflect on one of my new shadow portfolio areas I am honoured to be appointed to that encompasses tourism. I raise in this place concerns about some early and very worrying decisions being undertaken in an area vital to the economic health of our state by the Marshall government. Disappointingly, we have already seen major controversy and a distinct lack of leadership on behalf of the Premier and his government in this area.

Firstly, we had the decision to award a multimillion-dollar contract to Victorian firm that will go on to promote us, a decision that essentially outsources South Australian jobs interstate. This is despite much bluff and bluster by the government in the lead-up to the election about the brain drain and loss of our young people to greener pastures interstate. It seems that one of the first major economic decisions of the Marshall Liberal government is to outsource these jobs to Victoria.

I acknowledge that the South Australian Tourism Commission follow due process in regard to awarding this tender. However, this does not change the fact that this government could have and should have overturned this decision and put South Australian jobs first. As I stated publicly, they have failed at the very first hurdle in terms of their commitment to creating South Australian jobs, particularly for our young people in the creative advertising and marketing space.

I note the initial tough talk by the Premier following the announcement, the bravado with which he said he would seek a full explanation and that SATC better have a pretty good reason for the decision. What in fact happened was very little. A squeak about SATC being independent was all that was forthcoming from the Premier. His minister remained silent on the issue—no explanations about what steps the Minister for Tourism took when he heard about the tender result. We know now that he was briefed on the issue by the department. Did the government even query the decision to outsource a major state tender to an interstate company? One wonders what else this government are signing off on in this blasé manner behind closed doors.

Then we dive into the murky waters of the recent appointment by the Marshall Liberal government of Andrew Killey to the South Australian Tourism Commission Board. Mr Killey is a former co-founder of KWP! advertising, a South Australian company which formerly held the advertising tender which has now been outsourced to Victoria. One wonders if this appointment was an apology for the company losing the contract in the first place or simply an appropriate piece of timing to reward a fellow Liberal supporter for his attack-dog commentary on a former Labor government.

It seems that jobs for the boys is alive and well under a Marshall Liberal government. Indeed, it is the boys who seem to be filling the front benches opposite. Given that we are now nearly 60 days into the first 100 of this government's 'hit the ground running' agenda and the Premier has yet to get his website up and running, the Marshall team may need to ask the South Australian people for an extension. Under Labor, South Australia welcomed a record-breaking 442,000 international visitors in the past year, spending $1.1 billion right here in this state. Our 2017-18 state budget committed a $14.5 million boost for events and convention bid fund.

The Marshall Liberal government have committed to a big agenda in tourism and one would hope that this is a portfolio we could embrace in a bipartisan manner. Let's hope that their lacklustre effort to date is not an example of what is to follow. The people of South Australia deserve better. Our reputation on the national and world stage is at stake.