Government Marketing and Communications

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:39): Is the minister confident that he can reach that $12.8 billion target by 2030 considering that there will be a 40 per cent cut in the tourism budget before then?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:39): I thank the honourable member for his question. I do have a fair degree of regard for him, but his foresight to know by 2030 that there will be a 40 per cent cut in the budget I find somewhat bemusing. On the current trajectory, if we keep investing—and the Marshall Liberal government has been investing $43 million of extra marketing money during this last budget round over the next three years—I am very confident it will be at $8 billion by the end of next year, which is the end of 2020. It will take another decade, then, to get the other $4.6 billion.

I am very confident that we will reach that target. And, Mr President, it will be some 50,000 jobs in South Australia in that industry; more than 43 per cent of them will be regional South Australia. And if we are at that $12 billion target, if you look at it, the 43¢ of every dollar spent in the regions, $430 million a month on average is being spent in the regions, $570 million a month in Adelaide. It will be a significant contributor to our regional economy.