Kangaroo Island Visitor Centre

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:08): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Treasurer about tourism funding.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: Yesterday, the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment was asked questions about the Kangaroo Island Visitor Centre, which has been closed since 19 May 2019. The minister has consistently refused to reopen the visitor centre. My question is to the Treasurer: why won't the Treasurer allocate funding to reopen the Kangaroo Island Visitor Centre?

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. T.T. NGO: The cheque's in the mail. And since being in parliament has the Treasurer ever visited Kangaroo Island to understand how important this tourism destination is?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:09): What an excellent question from a former senior adviser to a treasurer, as I alluded to earlier, Mr President. I have every confidence in my outstanding tourism minister colleague, the Hon. Mr Ridgway. Whatever budget he is allocated, he will make sure that it is spent and gets the best bang for the buck in relation to that budget.

As he has highlighted, there has been in the marketing area a very significant increase. But there are always difficult and challenging decisions, as I am sure the former senior adviser to a former treasurer—

The Hon. T.T. NGO: Underpaid.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: 'Underpaid', he says—will understand. But we leave that sort of detailed decision-making to my outstanding colleagues and, in this case, my outstanding colleague the Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Mr Ridgway.