Trade Missions

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (15:08): My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Can the minister explain the process for determining which businesses accompany the minister on overseas trade missions, and could the minister also advise the process for determining the itinerary for the overseas trade missions?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for her question. I assume she is referring to trade missions in my current capacity as minister. As the honourable member would know, we have a different approach. We don't have the great travelling caravan trade missions of the Hon. Martin Hamilton-Smith, who incidentally I saw today in the building. He was obviously coming back to visit his good dear friends across the way.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: In the next sitting week, I will take more—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Mr President, they can't help themselves. We have coming up in early November the CIIE (China International Import Expo). We will be taking a delegation. Companies have been able to register their interest with the department to actually attend that. My recollection is—and that is why I will have some more details next sitting week around exactly the process, but I certainly think that you have to register, and I think it is a self-nominating process for companies to come on those particular trade missions.