Question Time

INTERSTATE TOURISM OPERATORS

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Tourism questions about Victorian businesses.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: This week the Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Leon Bignell, announced a $35,000 grant to a Victorian company, Adventure Air Australia, to provide three new air safaris for regional South Australia. The company's main base is not in South Australia; its administration personnel are based in Victoria and its aircraft and pilots are supplied by Sharp Airlines, which also has its main operations base in Victoria. Local companies already provide air safaris into these regional destinations and work with accommodation operators such as Southern Ocean Lodge to which the minister referred in his media release. Many of the local air safaris operate out of Adelaide and so support hotels, eateries, car transfer companies and also employ residents of South Australia; however, departures from Melbourne are already available as required. My questions are:

1. Why are South Australian taxpayers providing a grant of $35,000 to an interstate company to develop tourism products which will be in direct competition with existing South Australian operators?

2. Why has the minister spurned South Australian operators who have used their passion, time and own money to already develop air safaris to destinations described in the minister's media release?

3. Does the minister give a fig about tourism in South Australia and why is he supporting interstate operators at the expense of South Australian operators who pay taxes in South Australia, employ South Australians and work with other South Australian tour operators to provide a proudly South Australian product?

4. Is the minister aware that South Australian tour operators have one crucial advantage that other states cannot provide—South Australian tour operators actually vote in South Australia?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:20): I thank the honourable member for his most intriguing question. I must say, I struggle to find anything other than opinion in a lot of that question.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Mr President, I probably jumped in before you were going to make such a comment yourself. All I can say is, the question really is a little odd. Would the honourable member be in a similar position when he is criticising the Minister for Tourism, for example, in encouraging international airlines to come to Adelaide? Is that what he is saying? Is he saying that we should not actually be getting interstate and overseas operators into South Australia and spending their money in this state? Frankly, I think he has got the wrong end of the stick.