Domestic Airlines

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:46): My question is for the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Industry—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Investment.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Investment—sorry; get that acronym right. Can the minister update the house on his visits to both Rex and Qantas regarding shortage of pilots and his keen interest in promoting regional South Australia?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:47): I thank the member for his ongoing interest in regional South Australia. As members would be aware, Qantas put out a request for a regional pilot training facility, which we lodged. Unfortunately, South Australia was not short-listed, but it was fortunate I was in Sydney on the Monday after the short-listing and already had an appointment with Qantas. It was an opportune time for me to go and meet the senior people in Sydney and discuss that particular proposal and a number of other issues.

Qantas were very keen to act quickly, and so, while they said a lot of our proposals had significant merit, they wanted to build and operate the pilot training facility in the first half of next year, because they are experiencing significant pilot shortages. We just simply couldn't deliver on time.

Interestingly, they did raise at the time the relationship they had had with the former government. I assured them that we will have a very different approach to dealing with Qantas. They were a little surprised and alarmed that the tourism minister and the Premier of the day would make negative comments about the carrier that carries more than 50 per cent of all airline passengers out of Adelaide. I assured them we wouldn't be getting negative comments from me or the new Premier, the Hon. Steven Marshall, in relation to dealing with—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: We will have a strong and robust relationship with Qantas. We want to grow the size of the South Australian economy, and they would like to grow the size of their business also. It was interesting that those comments still have some impact on South Australia's brand reputation. But I left Qantas knowing that we would work closely together and look at some opportunities in the future for maybe further pilot training opportunities.

Interestingly, I was actually quite ill that day, so I said to all the boardrooms, 'You sit at one end and I will sit at the other.' It was a strange meeting, being almost 10 metres away from people, but being a former regional person, country person and a farmer, I have a strong work ethic; I did not want to cancel our meetings, because it would have been inappropriate.

I had deteriorated a little by the time I got to Rex, so I felt quite ill, but I sat in that room and spoke to the Rex chief executive and the senior people with Rex about the issues around Mount Gambier. I know two of the honourable members opposite, one the Leader of the Opposition and one a shadow minister, had raised concerns about Rex and their diminution of flights to Mount Gambier. Again, they cited passenger safety as a result of pilot shortages, and they have a significant investment in a pilot training facility to try to alleviate those problems.

What I thought was really interesting was that they discussed the history of Rex. Some would not be aware, but Rex came out of the collapse of Ansett. There was Kendell Airlines and Hazelton Airlines. They were formed together, and I think it was in September 2002 that Rex was launched. We were discussing their journey as a company over some 16 years, and they offered the comment to me that in the 16 years they have been in business they have no record of ever having a minister from the South Australian government visit their corporate offices.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Not even Mr Hunter?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Not even Mr Hunter, who is well travelled. I suggest that when these two frontbenchers come in here—as they did a few weeks ago—asking questions about Rex Airlines, they use their generous shadow minister's allowance or leader's allowance and get on a plane and fly over and visit Rex. It is an indictment on the former Labor government that after 16 years—and Rex provides service to a whole range of airports: Ceduna, Coober Pedy, Mount Gambier and others—they had never ever taken the time to visit an airline that provides a wonderful service to regional South Australia. I think that just shows what the former government really thought of regional South Australia—they did not care.