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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-02-06 Daily Xml
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Bushfire Recovery Support

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:52): My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. Can the minister please update the council on how businesses are assisting in supporting bushfire-affected communities?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade and Investment) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for his question. It is interesting, I will relate the story to the chamber. On LinkedIn, before Christmas, I received an invitation from Mr Brett Russell, who is the workshop manager at Callidus Process Solutions, to open their new factory at Gillman. It was fabulous to go to this new factory, to look at what they do. Callidus support the oil and gas sector by refurbishing big valves and a whole bunch of machinery that supports companies like Santos and Beach and others. It is fabulous to see the work they are doing, growing their businesses in South Australia, growing the South Australian—

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order: it is very difficult to see any nexus whatsoever between the anecdote that the minister is following through and the question that was actually asked.

The PRESIDENT: There's no point of order. Complete your answer, please, minister.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: It's great to see South Australian companies doing well. As I turned up at the Callidus workshop to do the opening, they introduced me to their international owner, the Pon group, which is headquartered in the Netherlands, and I met the Pon CEO, Mr Janus Smalbraak, Callidus CEO, David Wood, and Pon Australia CEO, Jack Guidry.

What they said is that, besides the opening, the staff and workshop members for Callidus had passed the hat around. They felt as though they needed to put some support into our local bushfire appeal. They felt as though they needed to help. Callidus chief executive, Janus Smalbraak, said, 'Whatever you find as the employees through barbecues and passing the hat around, Pon, the Netherlands company, will double it.'

I was very pleased when I heard that the employees had raised $6,000 from passing the hat around. They said, 'We think that Pon, through Janus Smalbraak, will give you a cheque for $12,000 to put into the Premier's bushfire fund.' I was unbelievably astounded when Janus Smalbraak presented me with a cheque for the Premier's bushfire fund for $100,000. It is not only local companies supporting our bushfire victims but international companies like the Pon corporation. They have gone out of their way to give us $100,000 towards the people who have suffered through these bushfires.

I want to put on the record our absolute sincere congratulations and thanks for the Callidus group and the Pon group for their expression of gratitude to South Australian families who have lost everything in the fires and also for what they have done in growing our economy, employing people in South Australia. Especially to the people I met, Janus, David and Jack and all of their employees, I thank you for your donations and your support; it goes to a very worthy cause.

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