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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-05 Daily Xml
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McLAREN VALE ACCOMMODATION

Mr PISONI (Unley) (14:54): My question is for the Minister for Tourism. Did the minister make the comment that motel and other accommodation in McLaren Vale is substandard? The Minister for Tourism—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PISONI: —speaking at a new accommodation opening at McLaren Vale in December 2008, acknowledged other accommodation operators of McLaren Vale by saying that McLaren Vale offered only a couple of substandard motels. The substandard motels and other accommodation businesses as described by the minister are the same businesses that have won tourism awards presented by the minister. The minister told ABC Radio that she would not have made such a comment.

The SPEAKER: It sounds like an answer, but anyway I call the Minister for Tourism.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:55): I thank the member for Unley for his question. I think that it is really important that if I offend people I apologise—I am happy to do that at any time. I realise that, when one speaks about investments in this state, it is really important that one is positive. It is so hard, particularly in these economic times, to find investors who will invest in new infrastructure.

Mr PISONI: A point of order, Mr Speaker. Did she say it: yes or no? It was a simple question. We don't want waffle. The operators at McLaren Vale want an answer.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I remind all members that, when they are making a point of order, it is not an opportunity to make a speech. They are wasting their eloquence on me. They just need to draw my attention to the particular standing order that they believe is being breached. I am not able to direct any minister in answering questions how they are to do it as long as they are not engaging in debate and as long as they are answering the substance of the question, and the minister is doing both.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: I have to say that I applaud any investor who spends money to produce new infrastructure and a new development, particularly accommodation, in what is a difficult economic climate. Over the previous year or so, South Australia has been blessed by people who have put their finances and homes on the line to build, invest in, refurbish and rework current investments that are already there. In fact, when you open a new facility—I do not know what the member for Unley would do. He could say, 'This is very boring; there are lot of these about.' My attitude is that you should applaud—

Mr PISONI: A point of order, Mr Speaker. The minister does not speak for me; I speak for myself. I have asked the minister a simple question—

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PISONI: —and she is refusing to answer it—skirting around the question.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Unley will take his seat.

Mr PISONI: It is total irresponsibility.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Unley will take his seat. I remind all members, including those on my right, that when the Speaker is on his feet the house is to become silent immediately. The member for Unley is treading on very thin ice if he continues to call out when I am on my feet. There is no point of order.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: I think that when you see a new development or a refurbished structure or accommodation unit, you should applaud the people who have invested money. There have been several developments recently that have been significant for South Australia: Southern Ocean Lodge; the Port Lincoln Hotel; the Minima in Melbourne Street, North Adelaide; the Manna of Hahndorf. I have said the same thing about a whole range of developments. This is setting a new benchmark; this is innovative; this is exciting. This is a great development—it is different from a lot I have seen—in many ways, it is better, different and exciting.

For instance, the Minima in Melbourne Street is truly original. It is the one place I have seen in South Australia where, effectively, there are no staff. You swipe your credit card, they give you a door key, you can swipe in and press buttons and get a car parking facility. It is unique. I have never seen anything like it. Similarly—

Mr WILLIAMS: A point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will take her seat.

Mr WILLIAMS: As interesting as this might be, it is totally irrelevant to the question which is seeking to find out whether or not the minister said that there was substandard tourist accommodation in McLaren Vale.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Minister for Tourism has the call.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: I will always support innovation, new investment and refurbishment. If you come to a new development and say, 'This is fabulous; it is different from anything else I have seen'—

Ms Chapman: It's there in McLaren Vale.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: No—different from anything else I have seen. You have to always promote those people who put hard money on the line, who invest and develop new things. I will continue to do that. There is nothing to be ashamed of in doing that. If people think that by commending a new development, they are denigrating the old ones, I am sorry. If you think that by commending new developments, you are denigrating old ones—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: That may be true.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: But I have to say that you can only applaud new investments, developments and refurbishments. I have never targeted a single development and said that it was substandard.

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