❓ Mr. Hughes asks about the success of the government's tourism action plan and if the minister is aware of misleading claims about tourism figures. The Minister responds by highlighting record visitor numbers and criticising the opposition's negative commentary.
AnsweredQoN 335Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TOURISM — ACTION PLAN
335. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Tourism:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment
to support tourism businesses and create more jobs in the sector.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Vasse!
Mr M. HUGHES : I ask —
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the initiatives of this government, including
its two-year action plan, have led to a record number of people visiting Western
Australia?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who has made bizarre or
misleading claims about these figures?
335. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Tourism:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment
to support tourism businesses and create more jobs in the sector.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Vasse!
Mr M. HUGHES : I ask —
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the initiatives of this government, including
its two-year action plan, have led to a record number of people visiting Western
Australia?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who has made bizarre or
misleading claims about these figures?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question and for his interest in
and support for tourism. I have been up to his electorate a couple of times, as
he knows, to talk to tourism advocates in the hills. He is a great champion of
tourism right across the state, but particularly within his electorate.
(1)–(2) I can talk about the success of the two-year
action plan that was launched in March 2018 because Tourism Research
Australia updated its stats only a couple of weeks ago. I have to explain how
the stats work. They come out quarterly, but they are not a quarterly barometer
of performance over the past three months; they are a report of the previous 12
months to the date of compilation. They come out quarterly but they are also a quarter
late. Interestingly, a couple of weeks ago, for the first time we saw what
happened in tourism in Western Australia in 2018. Until that time, we had been
burdened with the baggage of our inheritance from the previous government—its
dismal neglect of tourism that resulted in a downward spiral in 2017. The
previous government's tourism portfolio had bad structure, a bad budget
and a bad strategy, and we did not get rid of that until Labor took office and
launched its action plan in March 2018.
In
2018 we had the biggest tourism visitor numbers to Western Australia in
history, and that was confirmed by the stats only a couple of weeks ago—the
largest number of visitors to Western Australia in history. But there have been
some bizarre claims. Only this week the member for Bateman —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I have laminated it so that the member
for Bateman over there can read his negative, carping headline. I will just
give one quote of the member for Bateman talking about our tourism policies in
an opinion piece in yesterday's The West Australian —
These policies have decimated
international tourist numbers �
That is an interesting observation.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Vasse, I call you to order for
the second time.
Mr P. PAPALIA : In 2018, we had the highest number of
visitors to Western Australia in history. Our growth in the number of
international holiday-makers is double the national average; we lead the nation
in international holiday-maker growth, at 12.6 per cent. Of course, the member
for Bateman is not the only one. There was a lot of choice, I must say. I had
to go through and separate the wheat from the chaff, and there were a lot of
different options, but in 2018 the member for Vasse took the record. She wrote
so many opinion pieces that I think she may be
responsible for some of the redundancies at The West . Real journalists
were driven out of their job as a consequence of her free work! There
were dozens, but I have chosen three. Members may recall this Liberal Party
press release by the member for Vasse from 24 April 2018—bearing in
mind that in 2018 Western Australia had its biggest visitor numbers in history.
Apparently, sharks were killing tourism. The heading was ''Sharks a real
threat to our tourism industry'', but there was an interesting quote
regarding Margaret River —
The Margaret River region's
reputation as a surfing mecca is now in tatters, and hardest hit are the
numerous small businesses throughout the South West.
That is an interesting claim, because we have now secured the
Margaret River Pro for this year and a further two years, with an option for a third
year, so the World Surf League is quite happy about Margaret River. We also
know that in 2018, WA's south west, where Margaret River is located,
saw the number of interstate visitors increase by 53.1 per cent.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr P. PAPALIA : Contradictory
and controversial, I know, but it confirms one thing: the member for Vasse does
not know much about numbers.
On
30 January 2019, another article by the member for Vasse appeared in The
West Australian, headed, ''State must deliver on WA's
tourism potential''.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : Why is it
laminated?
Mr P. PAPALIA : That is so
members over there can read it without me having to hold it up. Apparently,
according to this article —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister!
Members, can I advise you that when we have a matter of public interest, we
have to finish by 10 to four, so the longer the question goes, the fewer
questions there will be.
Mr P. PAPALIA : Apparently,
according to the article —
On taking office in 2017 the McGowan
Government inherited a vibrant State with a growing tourism industry �
Quite the opposite, actually. It was
spiralling because of the previous government's neglect and failure. In
2018, when we kicked in our two-year action plan, it resulted in the biggest
numbers in history.
I like this last one; it is from 8
August 2018 and is headed, ''WA tourism needs its own identity to thrive''.
Members may recall that this article is an attack on the
machinery-of-government changes—apparently because the structure was so
good under the previous government!
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, do you realise you are on three?
Mr P. PAPALIA : The quote I want
to read refers to the departure from the department of one of the senior public
servants, and it states —
Including
the latest casualty, the State has lost a wealth of experience and knowledge,
and the destabilising impact this will have on the department and the
uncertainty it creates should not be downplayed.
The SPEAKER : Minister, can
you wrap this up?
Mr P. PAPALIA : We have the
biggest numbers in history. That was the consequence. The structure resulted in
the biggest numbers in history.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : Member, there
is always more to be done, but we have a two-year action plan and it is
working. The opposition has a two-year action plan—to be negative —
The SPEAKER : Your own
ministers will miss out on a question.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : It is to be negative,
carping and to talk down the Western Australian tourism industry. Fortunately, as
with most things the opposition has done recently, that two-year action plan is
a complete and utter failure.
and support for tourism. I have been up to his electorate a couple of times, as
he knows, to talk to tourism advocates in the hills. He is a great champion of
tourism right across the state, but particularly within his electorate.
(1)–(2) I can talk about the success of the two-year
action plan that was launched in March 2018 because Tourism Research
Australia updated its stats only a couple of weeks ago. I have to explain how
the stats work. They come out quarterly, but they are not a quarterly barometer
of performance over the past three months; they are a report of the previous 12
months to the date of compilation. They come out quarterly but they are also a quarter
late. Interestingly, a couple of weeks ago, for the first time we saw what
happened in tourism in Western Australia in 2018. Until that time, we had been
burdened with the baggage of our inheritance from the previous government—its
dismal neglect of tourism that resulted in a downward spiral in 2017. The
previous government's tourism portfolio had bad structure, a bad budget
and a bad strategy, and we did not get rid of that until Labor took office and
launched its action plan in March 2018.
In
2018 we had the biggest tourism visitor numbers to Western Australia in
history, and that was confirmed by the stats only a couple of weeks ago—the
largest number of visitors to Western Australia in history. But there have been
some bizarre claims. Only this week the member for Bateman —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I have laminated it so that the member
for Bateman over there can read his negative, carping headline. I will just
give one quote of the member for Bateman talking about our tourism policies in
an opinion piece in yesterday's The West Australian —
These policies have decimated
international tourist numbers �
That is an interesting observation.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Vasse, I call you to order for
the second time.
Mr P. PAPALIA : In 2018, we had the highest number of
visitors to Western Australia in history. Our growth in the number of
international holiday-makers is double the national average; we lead the nation
in international holiday-maker growth, at 12.6 per cent. Of course, the member
for Bateman is not the only one. There was a lot of choice, I must say. I had
to go through and separate the wheat from the chaff, and there were a lot of
different options, but in 2018 the member for Vasse took the record. She wrote
so many opinion pieces that I think she may be
responsible for some of the redundancies at The West . Real journalists
were driven out of their job as a consequence of her free work! There
were dozens, but I have chosen three. Members may recall this Liberal Party
press release by the member for Vasse from 24 April 2018—bearing in
mind that in 2018 Western Australia had its biggest visitor numbers in history.
Apparently, sharks were killing tourism. The heading was ''Sharks a real
threat to our tourism industry'', but there was an interesting quote
regarding Margaret River —
The Margaret River region's
reputation as a surfing mecca is now in tatters, and hardest hit are the
numerous small businesses throughout the South West.
That is an interesting claim, because we have now secured the
Margaret River Pro for this year and a further two years, with an option for a third
year, so the World Surf League is quite happy about Margaret River. We also
know that in 2018, WA's south west, where Margaret River is located,
saw the number of interstate visitors increase by 53.1 per cent.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr P. PAPALIA : Contradictory
and controversial, I know, but it confirms one thing: the member for Vasse does
not know much about numbers.
On
30 January 2019, another article by the member for Vasse appeared in The
West Australian, headed, ''State must deliver on WA's
tourism potential''.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : Why is it
laminated?
Mr P. PAPALIA : That is so
members over there can read it without me having to hold it up. Apparently,
according to this article —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister!
Members, can I advise you that when we have a matter of public interest, we
have to finish by 10 to four, so the longer the question goes, the fewer
questions there will be.
Mr P. PAPALIA : Apparently,
according to the article —
On taking office in 2017 the McGowan
Government inherited a vibrant State with a growing tourism industry �
Quite the opposite, actually. It was
spiralling because of the previous government's neglect and failure. In
2018, when we kicked in our two-year action plan, it resulted in the biggest
numbers in history.
I like this last one; it is from 8
August 2018 and is headed, ''WA tourism needs its own identity to thrive''.
Members may recall that this article is an attack on the
machinery-of-government changes—apparently because the structure was so
good under the previous government!
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, do you realise you are on three?
Mr P. PAPALIA : The quote I want
to read refers to the departure from the department of one of the senior public
servants, and it states —
Including
the latest casualty, the State has lost a wealth of experience and knowledge,
and the destabilising impact this will have on the department and the
uncertainty it creates should not be downplayed.
The SPEAKER : Minister, can
you wrap this up?
Mr P. PAPALIA : We have the
biggest numbers in history. That was the consequence. The structure resulted in
the biggest numbers in history.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : Member, there
is always more to be done, but we have a two-year action plan and it is
working. The opposition has a two-year action plan—to be negative —
The SPEAKER : Your own
ministers will miss out on a question.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : It is to be negative,
carping and to talk down the Western Australian tourism industry. Fortunately, as
with most things the opposition has done recently, that two-year action plan is
a complete and utter failure.
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