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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-07-06 Daily Xml
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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN VISITOR AND TRAVEL CENTRE

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (15:35): Again, my question is to the Minister for Tourism.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. Foley: I am disappointed in the standard of questions.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs REDMOND: And I am disappointed in the lack of answers, but I persevere, Kevin, I persevere. My question is to the Minister for Tourism. Why didn't and doesn't the minister defend his own policy decisions in the media regarding the relocation and privatisation of the South Australian Visitor and Travel Centre, instead of sending out Tourism CEO, Ian Darbyshire, to defend the minister's policy decisions?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister for Tourism.

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Urban Development, Planning and the City of Adelaide, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Food Marketing) (15:35): There is an act of parliament that establishes the tourist commission. I think it is called the tourist commission act; is that right, Premier?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. Rann: It was conceived in brilliance.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It was, as the Premier has mentioned, conceived in brilliance, though not by me.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Who was it?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I think a very prominent former minister for tourism.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: What, during the Arnold government?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Yes.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Mike Rann.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Mike Rann. Anyway, that is the framework. Now, if you read that, it has a board and the board are like a board of directors and they set policy. They then have a fellow—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Do you want to hear the answer or not? I am explaining to you a complex act of parliament. I am trying to reduce it down to bite-size pieces, right? The next bit is, they have a person who is the chief executive. That person administers the day-to-day aspects of running the commission. They set the policy for the commission. Now, I do not think the board decides whether the pies and pasties are going to come from Vilis or from—

An honourable member: Balfours.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —Balfours. I do not think they work on that level. I think that is something that is done somewhere else. I do not think they actually sit down as a board and negotiate contracts with people or about people; that is done by the chief executive, right? So, if the honourable member is asking, 'Why is the chief executive talking about this?' the answer to the question is, the chief executive is the person who does the job. The chief executive is the one who does the job.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: As I have explained earlier on in this place, I have asked for information about this particular process. When I have—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Would you prefer that I actually got in and gave them directions, assuming I have the power to do so, before I even know about something? Just give them random directions? I mean, really. So, I am trying to actually find out what the facts are. When I find out what the facts are, if there is anything that I am obliged to do, or a responsible person in my position should do, I will do it.

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