MTX Group

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay) (14:52): My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. What incentives were provided to MTX Group to establish a service hub in Adelaide?

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON (Morphett—Minister for Trade and Investment) (14:52): Finally, finally, I get a question—10 months since I have had a question. The opposition obviously do not have a trade policy at all and that's why they're scratching around thinking, 'Why would such a company come to South Australia?'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: Well, let me tell you why, Mr Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: Let me tell you why. Since day one in 2018 since coming into government here, we have been setting up South Australia to be future focused, globally focused.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: That's why we have been setting up centres of excellence right here in South Australia.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: Hear, hear! The Australian Institute for Machine Learning—

The Hon. C.L. Wingard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: —is one of the top two artificial intelligence institutes in the world. That's a fantastic place to have right here in Adelaide. That's attracting people. In fact, MIT, one of the world's leading institutions in this field, has also set up here. Only three places outside of the US—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Cheltenham!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: —where MIT is based, and it's based right here in Adelaide. That's building out a high-tech ecosystem. We have seen Accenture come here.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister will resume his seat.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left! The member for West Torrens on a point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Standing order 98: the question was very specific, sir—what incentives were provided to MTX—and we had an extraordinary response by the minister. Let's get back to the question, sir.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The minister has the call.

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: It may be extraordinary for those opposite, but for us on this side it is plain as daylight: setting up South Australia as a future-focused, high-tech ecosystem. That has brought Accenture and 2,000 jobs here, based in defence and cyber. I reported to you not long ago about AWS, the second largest company in the world set up right here in South Australia, bringing jobs to South Australia. Hot on their heels, we have had Google come here, one of the world's big companies. If I could just quote Mr Michael Grantham, the director of Google—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Cheltenham!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: —and what he's got to say about it. He said:

Adelaide has a unique environment that has been created here by the government that's enabled them to attract a lot of tech companies.

I shall go on:

The opportunity to become a part of Lot 14 and the strategy for South Australia and the tech sector is very exciting for Google...

If I can just finish as I wind back, artificial intelligence and machine learning, these are the things not really taught in schools today. Adelaide is at the forefront of developing this future workforce. So, not only are we bringing these companies here, it is the workforce that goes with it. Of course, MTX, one of the biggest companies—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: —is based out of Houston, and it is no coincidence that our trade office is there. They know what is going on over there because of our trade office. MTX, of course—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Cheltenham will cease interjecting. The minister has the call.

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: MTX, as I said, a global tech firm, is transforming the way things are done. They are doing great work in the US in terms of how they roll out their coronavirus response, and of course they need around-the-sun support—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: —24 hours, follow the sun. And, of course, where have they set up? They have set up right here in a global-leading—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: —high-tech state, South Australia, that is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left!

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON: —bringing 500 jobs right here—500 jobs in South Australia. That is the reason they have come to South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader! The member for Ramsay is seeking the call. Before I give the call to the member for Ramsay—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Does the leader wish to continue interjecting? Before I call on the member for Ramsay, I warn the member for Hammond. I warn the member for Chaffey. I warn the member for Mawson. I warn for a second time the member for Hurtle Vale. The member for Cheltenham can leave for the remainder of question time under 137A.

The honourable member for Cheltenham having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. C.L. Wingard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I warn the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.