Mr PERRON - 1994-10-11
Mr PERRON (Chief Minister)(by leave): Mr Speaker, I will speak briefly in response to inferences that I may have used my position to influence my colleague or the Tourist Commission in the selection of advertising material to promote the Northern Territory in a manner which would advantage a company of which I am a director. I want simply to inform the House of a couple of points. Firstly, Aquascene is operated virtually entirely by my wife and it is operated well. It does not need other than dinner table chat, I guess, as far as my input is concerned because my wife operates the venture very well. Secondly, I point out that Aquascene has had a policy for many years that, by and large, it does not advertise itself nationally or internationally.
Mr Bell: It does not need to.
Mr PERRON: Some years ago, we decided that it would be best for the business if we attempted to pick up trade from visitors to Darwin after their arrival here. For that reason, members may have noticed a sign at the new Darwin Airport terminal, and that we advertise quite extensively in local publications. Occasionally, we advertise in a backpacker newspaper or something similar, which may appear interstate in buses etc, aimed at people coming to the Territory. However, by and large, Aquascene does not become involved in the huge number of requests that I am sure that every tourism business receives from publications, as well as bodies like the Tourist Commission, urging them to take out advertisements in national or international publications. That is because, in fact, Aquascene receives quite sufficient numbers of tourists for it to cope with in the circumstances. We need not go elsewhere.
Whilst probably there have been many opportunities in the 15 years that Aquascene has been operating, and the 16 years that we have been a Territory government, when I could have
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commented, let alone made statements stronger than that, to anybody in the government, be they politicians or public servants, which might have ensured that they paid due attention to the Aquascene business in their promotional material, nevertheless and notwithstanding that those opportunities may have existed, I can assure members that they have never been taken advantage of in any way whatsoever. As the Minister for Tourism has said to members of the opposition, there is no substance to the inference they have made in the House today. The reason for this explanation is that I felt that I should make those few points before being asked Questions by the media which presumably will see this as something of a scandal worth a run. Thus, I place those few comments on the record.
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Mr Bell: It does not need to.
Mr PERRON: Some years ago, we decided that it would be best for the business if we attempted to pick up trade from visitors to Darwin after their arrival here. For that reason, members may have noticed a sign at the new Darwin Airport terminal, and that we advertise quite extensively in local publications. Occasionally, we advertise in a backpacker newspaper or something similar, which may appear interstate in buses etc, aimed at people coming to the Territory. However, by and large, Aquascene does not become involved in the huge number of requests that I am sure that every tourism business receives from publications, as well as bodies like the Tourist Commission, urging them to take out advertisements in national or international publications. That is because, in fact, Aquascene receives quite sufficient numbers of tourists for it to cope with in the circumstances. We need not go elsewhere.
Whilst probably there have been many opportunities in the 15 years that Aquascene has been operating, and the 16 years that we have been a Territory government, when I could have
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commented, let alone made statements stronger than that, to anybody in the government, be they politicians or public servants, which might have ensured that they paid due attention to the Aquascene business in their promotional material, nevertheless and notwithstanding that those opportunities may have existed, I can assure members that they have never been taken advantage of in any way whatsoever. As the Minister for Tourism has said to members of the opposition, there is no substance to the inference they have made in the House today. The reason for this explanation is that I felt that I should make those few points before being asked Questions by the media which presumably will see this as something of a scandal worth a run. Thus, I place those few comments on the record.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016