Legislative Council: Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Contents

CHINA TRADE LINKS

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:51): As a further supplementary, what is the budget for bringing the delegation out to South Australia from China, and will South Australian taxpayers be paying for it?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:51): I have extended an invitation for a delegation to come out. There has not been a response as yet. I am happy to see what interest that has stimulated and then work out the costs from there, but I have to say that this offers enormous opportunity and potential for economic activity here in South Australia—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: The Hon. David Ridgway has no idea. He is completely out of touch. An investment in assisting a delegation to come out has enormous financial potential for economic drive. We will look at the level of interest that is generated and determine what costs are incurred at the appropriate time.

The penny-pinching and the small narrow-mindedness of the Hon. David Ridgway—he has no idea. This has enormous investment potential. It has enormous economic flow-on effects. One of our priorities is to expand our market share, to find new markets for our primary producers. You would think that the opposition would be supporting this government going out and actively trying to find new markets for our primary producers, not sitting on their tails like they do, whingeing, whining and carping, completely out of touch.