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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-05-15 Daily Xml
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Tour Down Under

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:22): Whilst on his feet, the minister said he was committed to making the next race, the TDU, bigger and better and that he has expectations it will be. What are the initiatives that he will put in place as minister to drive the continued high growth in tourism outcomes which he has inherited from former minister Leon Bignell and his advocacy and leadership for this race?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:22): We have a range of initiatives that we are talking to the Tourism Commission about to make all of our events bigger and better. Of course, this event is one of those strange ones that started under a Liberal government—Mike Turtur came to the former Liberal government with an idea—and has enjoyed bipartisan support across the years. I think that is something South Australia should be proud of—that it has enjoyed bipartisan support—notwithstanding that I think on the day it was announced some members of the then opposition said to minister Joan Hall and I think maybe premier Olsen, 'What, a bike race? You're mad. Nobody will ever come to that.' Ten million visitors later, 10 million people have proved them wrong.

I am not going to be talking about the initiatives we will be rolling out in the coming months or even in the coming years. While this event is particularly good, actual growth in tourism numbers has been slipping behind the national average and our share of the national pie has been shrinking, as it has with exports, with population growth and on a whole range of measures. In fact, I suspect that's why we have lost one federal seat, because over the last 16 years we have continued to contract across a number of indicators and we are less important on the national stage than we were some 16 years—

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Point of order, President, on relevance. I was asking about continued improved growth in tourism outcomes in the TDU, which the honourable minister was telling us about. What are your plans, minister, through you, Mr Chair?

The PRESIDENT: I understand the point of order, Hon. Mr Hunter. The Hon. Mr Hunter has a point.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: As I said earlier, we will be unrolling our plans—

The PRESIDENT: I am giving you some latitude, minister, but please stay on track with the point of his question.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Thank you. I won't be rolling out the specific plans to this particular opposition member today, but I will talk quickly, in a cycling vein, about a policy that we took to the election, which was to develop a touring route from Adelaide to Melbourne, a cycling route to capitalise on the wonderful tradition of the Tour Down Under and the Herald Sun Tour and join the two great cycling states in a new spirit of collaboration. The mob opposite, the opposition, when they were in government, had a sport of picking fights with other states. We have taken a different approach. I have gone to the Victorians—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Rolling over.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I have gone to the Victorians. We know how the former minister—I know it is rude to point, so I won't—deals with conflict. What sort of language do you use? Unparliamentary language! You were a disgrace to South Australia, an embarrassment to South Australia the way you conducted yourself as a minister.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: You were a disgrace.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, sit down, I've had enough. The Hon. Mr Pangallo.

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