Tourism Advertising

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:26): Yes, supplementary: will the minister advise when he first became aware of the ad, and did he at all note or approve the campaign before it was launched?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:27): I will just finish if I may. There was 120—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I've got it. Minister—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Are you two finished your conversation, because I would like to say something. The Leader of the Opposition has asked you a direct question; it was precise. You don't continue with your previous answer. Either answer him or don't answer him, and we will get on with it.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I don't remember the exact day that I saw the advertisement. I was briefed before it was put through the approval process by the Tourism Commission. It was an ad that I thought would have cut through; it was different. Look at the figures: on 1 September, there were 124,000 visits to southaustralia.com, a 110 per cent increase on the same period last year.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway, you are trying my patience.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: This advertisement—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Of course I did.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I don't have the approval process, but I was very happy for the ad to go ahead. It has proven in the stats that it's got the highest cut through that we have ever had. It has put South Australia on the map. Everybody is talking about it. I would urge members—because they have all sort of come at this a little early, I think—to actually wait for the whole campaign until it ends in January. It's the spring/summer campaign. They are passing judgement on one part of it that has been extremely successful and has got people talking about South Australia. There are record hits on the website and a record number of leads to South Australian tourism operators.