Kangaroo Island Tourism

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (14:37): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. Is the minister taking any action to protect the tourism industry on Kangaroo Island following the negative publicity that the island has received this week and, if so, what has she done?

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Are you worried about Vickie's Airbnb?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water) (14:38): What happened on Kangaroo Island and the footage that we all saw is clearly unacceptable and disturbing. That news has gone around the country and around the world. What we will be measured by is the immediacy and the effectiveness of our response, and I believe I can say without hesitation that across the chamber we shared a view that we needed to get on and deal with this and that this was completely unacceptable.

I delivered a ministerial statement earlier so that it can be quoted and used by people who choose to to explain the steps of action that we are undertaking in order to be highly responsive very fast to this challenge. My view is that that is the best message we can tell the rest of the world: that while we have seen this footage, we have said it is unacceptable and we have acted and, as you will have seen, acted in a way that makes it legislatively much easier to address should any future similar situation occur not just on Kangaroo Island but anywhere in South Australia. That's the pathway for us to be able to reassure people who take an interest in South Australia, including from a tourism perspective, that this still remains a beautiful and safe and caring place to visit.