Question Time

Brand South Australia

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment regarding Brand SA.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: When the minister was previously asked whether he was aware of a letter from the Premier cutting funding for Brand SA prior to question time on 16 May this year, the minister's answer was an emphatic and simple no. The opposition is now in receipt, through the freedom of information process, of certain documents, particularly an email from the Premier's office that attaches the letter in question that has previously been tabled by the Hon. Emily Bourke.

That email attaching the letter was sent to Mr Peter Joy at 12.15pm on Thursday 16 May, some two hours before question time. What is now revealed through the FOI process is that that particular email wasn't just sent to Mr Peter Joy, it was also sent to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment and to the Treasurer. The letter informing of a cut—I will read out directly from the email, it says:

Dear Mr Joy,

Thank you for your recent emails.

Please find attached a…letter in response from the Premier, the Hon Steven Marshall MP.

The hard copy will be posted today.

Yours sincerely,

Office of the Premier

That email was also sent to the Treasurer and minister Ridgway. Can the minister explain how he did not know about this decision to cut Brand SA funding when in fact he received an email some two hours before he made that claim in this chamber?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:18): I thank the honourable member for his ongoing interest in Brand SA. I think it was sometime about 2.15 or 2.20 that day we were receiving questions. I had not seen that email or read that email prior to being here in question time.

The Hon. E.S. Bourke: Is that because you don't have a good relationship with the Premier?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: No, I was actually probably down here doing my job and representing the people of South Australia. The members opposite might monitor their emails by the millisecond. At the time of giving the answer, I had not seen that email.