Overseas Trade Offices

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:40): My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Can the minister inform the council about how the Marshall Liberal government is delivering on its first 100 days commitment to commence the process of establishing South Australia's new network of trade offices?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:41): I thank the honourable member for his ongoing interest in growing our state's economy and establishing a network of overseas trade offices. The South Australian government, Mr President, as you know—and I am sure the members opposite are disappointed in it—is committed to creating jobs and boosting South Australia's international trade and supporting our exporters. Unlike the previous government who shut all but two of our overseas trade offices—they left one in Jinan and one in London—we are committed to creating a more extensive network of overseas trade offices for South Australia's exporters. We will open new offices in key commercial centres across the globe. Growing trade is vital to growing our economy and the new Liberal government has a positive outward-looking agenda to grow exports.

Mr President, as I am sure you will recall as part of our first 100-day plan, we made a lot of commitments to the people of South Australia. It was an ambitious list of projects but we make no apologies for that. Part of that plan was a commitment to commence the process to establish South Australian trade offices in Shanghai, Japan, Malaysia, Dubai and the United States. We are not opening all of these offices at once. A staged approach is being employed to establish the offices so that we can refine and sharpen how we service South Australia's export community.

The initial emphasis is on South Australia's largest two-way trading partner, China. Of course, as members would know, the Premier and I have both made one trip each overseas since the election and, in both cases it has been to China. I was fortunate enough to go to Quingdao, Jinan, Shandong and Shanghai, and the Premier went to Shanghai for some very important business meetings and also, of course, to support the football match between Port Power and the Gold Coast Suns.

We have already shown a very strong commitment to China and a very strong commitment to growing trade with our largest trading partner. I am pleased today to announce that yesterday the state government released an expression of interest on the internet across the business community in Shanghai to seek a regional director to lead the new South Australian office and to oversee activities across China. We have expressed interest to see who is in the market. It will be an experienced business development professional with extensive networks across the Chinese business and government community with strong representational skills, and an ability to promote the state at the highest levels will also be expected.

The recruitment process is being conducted in partnership with the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai which, at the moment, is being chaired by Craig Aldous, who headed up Elders Fine Foods for many years in China and now I think works for Treasury Wine Estates. He chairs the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and they are very happy to help us try to recruit some expert people. We also have the support of the Australian Trade Commission. We hope to draw on all of their extensive network and the high-calibre people that they know to identify the very best person to represent South Australia.

We are very proud of our initiative in Shanghai. The new director will assist us in rapidly putting arrangements in place for our new office and it will be the start of a positive journey for South Australians seeking deeper and longer term engagement with China. I am pleased to say that we have well and truly begun establishing our overseas network of trade offices and I look forward to seeing them open the doors and begin to deliver for the businesses of South Australia.