Page 5082 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 27 November 1991
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This is also an opportunity to endorse the Chief Minister's action in removing tourism from the Urban Services ministerial arrangements and placing the program with a more appropriate area of economic development. I have articulated that view and personally voiced my opinion on that issue to Ms Follett. I think it was a very sensible move and one that the industry rightly applauded. I recall articulating that view to the former Chief Minister back in December 1989, as a view that was representative of the tourism industry.
The success of the two local tourism businesses at the National Tourism Awards was a great achievement for both these attractions and the Territory. The ACT tourism industry has been particularly successful at the national awards for the last two years, and the industry as a whole is to be congratulated for its ongoing professional approach. The "Beyond the Triangle" promotion was a very good initiative by the Canberra Business Council tourism committee, and I particularly congratulate the executive director of the CVCB, Elizabeth Stewart. It was through her initiatives that that promotion got off the ground. It is a pity, though, that none of the members of the Assembly, with the exception of me, gave personal endorsement to the day and attended that very successful promotion.
At this point my accolades cease. I have on many occasions articulated grave concerns regarding the reduction of $1m in the tourism budget. I am also critical, and rightly so in my view, of the Alliance Government for not ensuring that the $1m was included in the tourism budget rather than remaining a one-off grant. I do not think that that did anything to endear it to the tourism industry either.
As a major employer of this Territory employing some 8,000 to 10,000 people, many of whom are young people, the industry should be given every encouragement, not see budget dollars removed, especially when other States and the Northern Territory are increasing their budgets. For example, South Australia received an increase in their tourism budget of almost $1.6m. I remind members that the South Australian tourism budget has gone from $15.8m in 1990-91 to almost $17.4m in 1991-92. That is a very big difference from the ACT tourism budget.
I am not going to speak at length on the funding issue. My views are well documented. However, I caution any political party or individual about doing what was recently announced in the Canberra Times, where a former tourism commissioner, no less, stated that his party would give the ACT Tourism Commission $5.1m a year between 1992 and 1995. That $5.1m, according to my calculations, is exactly what the commission received in the 1990-91 budget.
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