❓ Mrs. Hayden asks the Minister for Tourism if it's true that the Minister and Tourism WA don't support Mr. Syme's business or consider international distilleries as tourism operators. The Minister denies this and criticizes Hayden for acting as a go-between.
AnsweredQoN 944Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CAMERON SYME — MEETING
944. Mrs A.K. HAYDEN to the Minister for Tourism:
I have a supplementary question. Mr
Syme has come to me because he has emailed the minister and has not had a response.
Is it true —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! I want
to hear the supplementary question. Start again.
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Thank you.
Minister —
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Transport, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : I will not
be bullied.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! The
member for Darling Range is asking a supplementary question. I do not want to
hear any interjections, please.
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Is it true
that both the minister and Tourism WA told Mr Syme that they do not support his
type of business, nor consider international distilleries to be tourism
operators?
944. Mrs A.K. HAYDEN to the Minister for Tourism:
I have a supplementary question. Mr
Syme has come to me because he has emailed the minister and has not had a response.
Is it true —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! I want
to hear the supplementary question. Start again.
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Thank you.
Minister —
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Transport, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : I will not
be bullied.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! The
member for Darling Range is asking a supplementary question. I do not want to
hear any interjections, please.
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Is it true
that both the minister and Tourism WA told Mr Syme that they do not support his
type of business, nor consider international distilleries to be tourism
operators?
AnswerView source ↗
Look,
a wild guess: no. I cannot fathom where this question has come from. I have no
idea about it. I get a lot of emails in my ministerial office, as do all
ministers, so invariably someone has not been able to contact me. In the case
of Mr Syme, what I can say is that he has my chief of staff's business
card, with his personal mobile number, so I am sure that if he wants to get in
touch, he can. Otherwise, he can just ring the front desk, and they will
arrange a meeting.
This
is an extraordinary line of questioning. As I said earlier, the member for
Darling Range is not my secretary or my receptionist. It would be a ridiculous
proposal that anyone who wished to have a meeting with me would contact the
member for Darling Range. The member for Darling Range is the last person who
is going to get people any access to the Minister for Tourism. I am easy to
catch. I am easy to talk to. I am easy to meet with. Yesterday, I was at an
Australian Tourism Export Council meeting. I met its committee at the annual
general meeting. I presented some awards to some outstanding tourism
operators. I am constantly attending tourism functions. I was at the Liquor Stores Association of Western Australia awards on
Friday night. I will be at the Australian Hotels Association awards on a Monday
in the not-too-distant future in a black tie. I am all over the state, meeting
tourism operators. The suggestion that I am in any way difficult to contact and
somehow precious about being contacted by anybody in the tourism or hospitality
sector is laughable. I do not think anyone in Western Australia would believe
that.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
a wild guess: no. I cannot fathom where this question has come from. I have no
idea about it. I get a lot of emails in my ministerial office, as do all
ministers, so invariably someone has not been able to contact me. In the case
of Mr Syme, what I can say is that he has my chief of staff's business
card, with his personal mobile number, so I am sure that if he wants to get in
touch, he can. Otherwise, he can just ring the front desk, and they will
arrange a meeting.
This
is an extraordinary line of questioning. As I said earlier, the member for
Darling Range is not my secretary or my receptionist. It would be a ridiculous
proposal that anyone who wished to have a meeting with me would contact the
member for Darling Range. The member for Darling Range is the last person who
is going to get people any access to the Minister for Tourism. I am easy to
catch. I am easy to talk to. I am easy to meet with. Yesterday, I was at an
Australian Tourism Export Council meeting. I met its committee at the annual
general meeting. I presented some awards to some outstanding tourism
operators. I am constantly attending tourism functions. I was at the Liquor Stores Association of Western Australia awards on
Friday night. I will be at the Australian Hotels Association awards on a Monday
in the not-too-distant future in a black tie. I am all over the state, meeting
tourism operators. The suggestion that I am in any way difficult to contact and
somehow precious about being contacted by anybody in the tourism or hospitality
sector is laughable. I do not think anyone in Western Australia would believe
that.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
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