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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-10-23 Daily Xml
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Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:19): My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Can the minister inform the council about the recent opening of the SA chapter of the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce and the great work being done by its members?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:19): I thank the honourable member for his question and his ongoing interest in international relations.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Especially Irish.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Especially Irish international relations.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Exactly.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: No, not yet. On 4 October, I had the great pleasure of attending the official launch of the South Australian chapter of the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce. It was attended by the Governor, His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le, and the Irish ambassador to Australia, the Honourable Breandán Ó Caollai. We all had the pleasure of addressing the gathering of businesspeople, predominantly Irish Australians, who were part of the launch.

Both dignitaries highlighted the common bonds we share and the desire to deepen the relationship between our two economies and our two societies. The president of the South Australian chapter, Mr Ryan McClanahan, spoke of his journey to South Australia and his vision for the new chapter of the IACC to facilitate closer ties between Irish businesses in South Australia and vice versa.

I took the opportunity to lay out South Australia's new trade policy agenda and the opportunities for Irish companies to set up and do business in our great state. We are already close to the United Kingdom, and as it departs from the European Union connections with EU member states like Ireland will become even more important. Obviously, we want to focus on the business to business of government relationships, but ultimately it is the individuals and the personal connections that are crucial to a closer integration.

Incidentally, one of the members asked me if I had any connection to Ireland. I said I didn't, but it was actually exactly four weeks from that date that Ireland's greatest cricketing export will join my family when he marries my daughter. I think it will be a wonderful opportunity for bringing the two great nations closer together. I would expect to see many investment opportunities that will spring from that relationship.

Another obvious example of this is the South Australian finalist for the Young Professional of the Year at the IACC business awards, Georgina Carpendale. The winners were announced on 12 October. Unfortunately, Georgina did not win overall the national award, but we have many reasons to be proud of her. She came here with her now husband in the aftermath of the GFC, when the Irish economy had crashed. She started her career there as an auditor, but left for greater opportunities here.

She became the chief financial officer of Micro-X, the winner of the IACC SME of the year in 2018, and at the age of 30 is certainly an impressive young woman. She is helping Micro-X take on the world with their innovative portable lightweight X-ray technology with a range of applications in clinical and military settings.

Georgina is just one example of the human face of international business, and I wish her and Micro-X every success in the future. In closing, the Marshall Liberal government will work with associations like the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce to grow mutually beneficial opportunities for our two great economies.

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