Nu Skin

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:03): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment regarding Nu Skin.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: The minister has previously noted in this place that he has met with representatives of a US cosmetic multilevel marketing firm called Nu Skin. How many times have you met with Nu Skin or any related entity, both in opposition and as minister? Were you briefed by the SATC or DTTI about the company prior to your meetings as minister?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:04): I thank the honourable member for his question in relation to Nu Skin. I will answer part of it to start with. I never met with Nu Skin prior to becoming minister; so in opposition. In fact, I didn't even know the name Nu Skin prior to that. I have met with Nu Skin. My recollection is twice overseas, in China, in the last 12 months and once when they visited Adelaide.

There was a project in combination with the Adelaide Convention Bureau and Tourism Australia to attract what they call incentive or reward visits to places like Australia. These types of companies have been to Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef. South Australia put a proposal jointly with and supported by Tourism Australia. The Convention Bureau were the ones doing the bidding, so I was involved. As I said, in my recollection—I will double-check my diary—I think it was two times I met with them and once they came to a site visit here where I met with them.

We are waiting for decisions to see whether they may choose Adelaide to be a destination they would like to come to to celebrate one of their incentive visits. What they do is bring their top sales people to destinations like Sydney, the Gold Coast, the Great Barrier Reef and places like Adelaide. They bring thousands of people. We had Perfect (China) and Joy Main here in the last couple of years and they brought about 1,000 people, in my recollection. They stayed for three or four days and enjoyed the great hospitality, food and wine and experiences that we have here. It is often the way that companies reward their top sales people. We are waiting to see whether Nu Skin arrive.