Legislative Council: Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Contents

TOUR DOWN UNDER

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:53): By way of supplementary question, further to the minister's answer about Willunga Hill and the Tour Down Under, will she advise the house how much money it cost to erect and then take away the stage at the top of Willunga Hill that was put there for the Tour Down Under—the Russian stage?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:54): I find it just incredible, absolutely incredible. Here we have an event that generates millions and millions of dollars in our economy. We have this event filmed and televised all around the world, and in every shot that was taken you can see some aspect of South Australia in the background, whether it is a city, Clare, the Barossa or our hills. Every shot is worth a thousand words. So, we had this magnificent display of South Australia beamed all over the world for a week. Not only is that worth an enormous—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —amount of money to promoting South Australia and encouraging and enticing people to come and visit here, but the money that that generated here and put into this economy was phenomenal. But the honourable member wants to focus on the cost of erecting a stage. He is going to begrudge the erecting of a stage at one of the peak parts of the event. So, he is going to be so mean, mingy and miserly—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —he is going to begrudge the building of a stage or erecting of a stage at part of the course. He just needs to lift his chin a little. I am sick to death of having people in this place sitting opposite just putting South Australia down, just putting us down, time and time again—the naysayers, the doomsdayers. They need to lift their chin, they need to celebrate these successes and they need to promote what we are doing.