Japan and South Korea, Trade and Investment

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:43): My question is for the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. What KPIs did the Premier set the minister to achieve for his March 2019 trip to Japan and South Korea, and in particular, as a direct result of the minister's actions, how many jobs were created, how many contracts were signed, what was the value of those contracts and what was the total cost to taxpayers for this trip?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:43): I will answer the last one first: I am happy to bring back a cost. I do not have those figures at my fingertips. As members would be aware—and I think I alluded to this some time ago in a very probing question from either the Hon. Terry Stevens or the Hon. Dennis Hood—the reason we went was to open the Japanese trade office.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Allow the minister to answer the question.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, you are not helping.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: So we have appointed a regional director, Sally Townsend, who is a fabulous advocate for South Australia. I will repeat it for the benefit of the members opposite who clearly didn't listen: Sally was born in Tennyson, went to Japan I think as an exchange student, has gone back there, came home, and she has been married to a Japanese gentleman for 18 years. She specialises in the food and wine sector, interestingly two of our key target sectors.

She has been received extremely well. Members opposite, maybe they would have seen a lovely article in which she had an interview with the business section of The Advertiser when she was here for her first visit back to Adelaide as a result of getting this job. What they don't understand is that it is, again, about long-term relationships. You don't just go there—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, you are trying my patience, shouting questions in a seated position and showing great disrespect to the Hon. Ms Bourke. She would like to hear the response to her question.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Incidentally, we had the Governor on that trip, too, who was able to do the official ribbon cutting. There were a range of stakeholders. I am more than happy to provide the guest list to the members opposite of the people who came to the function we had to celebrate the opening. So when it comes to actual jobs and contracts signed, as I discussed yesterday, this is about making long-term relationships.

We caught up with Mitsubishi in Japan and Toyota with the hydrogen-powered Mirai car. We also met the hydrogen specialists in Japan and then went on to Korea. When in Korea, we met with the Korean minister. I don't have his name at my fingertips but it is in my report and it was in the question that I answered a few weeks ago. Hydrogen: I think that is one of the greatest opportunities for us. In the hydrogen space, both Japan and Korea have declared as governments that they want to decarbonise their societies by 2050. Both want to use hydrogen.

We have some of the world's best wind and solar resources here. I think the Koreans are particularly interested in doing some joint ventures here to explore opportunities for making green hydrogen in South Australia. You don't build these big bits of infrastructure and have a job starting the day you get back from these trips. It is about long-term relationships. It is about meeting the minister. He shook my hand and looked me in the eye and said, 'Our government is 100 per cent behind your government in helping you develop the hydrogen industry and the hydrogen sector in South Australia.' It is the same with the Japanese.

It is a bit naive to think that we are going to come back with a list of 50 jobs and contracts that are signed. The former government had abandoned having trade offices and had abandoned countries like China, Japan and Korea. We are re-entering the market. It will take time. Especially in those Asian countries, there is a lot about relationships. It is about personal relationships. It is about being familiar with the person you are doing business with.

We have had the Joyce review and we are looking at a stable approach to trade and international investment. Unlike the former government, which had about 15 or 16 different chief executives, government structures, different ministers—the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing—we actually now have a focus.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, please.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I just think they are now getting carried away with ridiculous interjections. We have a plan to regain the ground in international trade and we are going to continue to deliver it.

The PRESIDENT: I will allow one supplementary, the Hon. Ms Bourke, because time is fleeting.