Sam Smith Concert

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:21): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. Has the minister received any advice that the New South Wales government put an offer in to get the Sam Smith influencer concert? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order from the Treasurer, which I will hear under 134.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: That question assumes that such an offer was made.

The SPEAKER: It may well. To resolve the matter expeditiously, I will ask the member for Morialta to rephrase.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Thank you, sir. My question is to the Minister for Tourism. What, if any, advice has the minister received about whether or not the New South Wales government put an offer in for the Sam Smith concert? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: On 8 February this year, the minister said:

…should we not have bid for this, Sam Smith would have done this promotional concert announcing their Australian tour and their new album in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Sydney Opera House.

The SPEAKER: I am going to allow the question, although on one view it might be hypothetical. Another way to ask the question is simply to put it directly and to say, 'Has the minister received X or Y?' In any case—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, that may be, but 'what, if any' preceded that. That, on one view, introduces an element that I referred to.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:23): Thank you for repeating what I said in the parliament. I was advised by the Tourism Commission that Frontier Touring put out what was a very competitive bid process that many states were interested in being involved in. At the time, it was seen as an opportunity for something that often a much larger state would be likely to go for, and was likely to be in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Opera House.

I was advised verbally by the Tourism Commission that that is the expectation of these types of unique publicity events. I had no reason to doubt that advice. It was a process by Frontier Touring; it was a commercial arrangement. That was the situation. I stand by what I said then, on the advice that I received, and I stand by it now.

It was a unique opportunity, a unique publicity event. I doubt we will get anything like this type of opportunity again. This was an opportunity for that global young event. But these types of things happen all the time in Melbourne and Sydney and it was highly likely to happen this time again, had we not gone for it. That is what I was advised, and I stand by that.