Mr REED - 2002-08-21
In light of his advice earlier that he expected a $12m return from the $500 000 additional international marketing activity; the fact that he earlier advised that the $2m Virgin Blue subsidy would not come out of the marketing budget when, in fact, in the budget papers tabled yesterday it is shown that it will; and, further, that the $500 000 that is going to return $12m in visitor increases to the Northern Territory from international destinations, can he explain how he is going to achieve that, when a single, one page black and white advertisement in the London Daily Telegraph costs 43 000 or $120 000? How many jumbo jets full of tourists are you going to get coming to the Northern Territory, given that your $500 000 is going to be spread across the United States, New Zealand, Japan, Europe, the United Kingdom …
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker. The member for Katherine was one of the individuals on the other side who tied up this House in a debate over five-and-a-half hours yesterday about the length of questions, the length of answers, how long the debate should go. He has taken over two minutes to ask the question. They want to maximise the number of questions in Question Time, so do we, but it is incumbent on them to keep the questions short and to the point.
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, from the equivalent of four full page advertisements in international newspapers, how many jumbo jets does the minister expect to be full with tourists coming to the Northern Territory from a measly $500 000 increase? I seek leave to table the 43 000 full on cost of an advertisement.
Leave granted.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, before you do start your reply, questions and answers have been lengthy. It is 25 minutes into Question Time and we have had five questions only. I suggest that both sides shorten the questions and the answers.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it really is amazing. I cannot remember how long the member for Katherine was tourism minister, but he obviously did not learn very much whilst he was tourism minister. I will go through the statement point by point. The return on investment is calculated on the figures that the NT Tourist Commission has kept for many, many years. He would know that the Tourist Commission has an absolutely extensive research capacity and function within that organisation, that they know down to the last dollar where we should be putting money in our marketing and what that return on investment is. They have those figures, going back very many years, and they use that information to make very strategic decisions about where to place the marketing dollar.
If he was tourism minister for a number of years in this House and does not understand that that is where the Tourist Commission gets their numbers from, well, it is little wonder that he failed to increase the marketing budget over many years to take into account the depreciation of the Australian dollar.
Regarding the return on investment of $12m, that is over the $1m allocation, so it is $6m for this year, $6m for next, on the $500 000. He also shows his complete ignorance as to how the Tourist Commission actually partners with wholesalers and airlines in those international markets to aggregate the amount of money that is put in. So, it is not the Northern Territory Tourist Commission alone that will be taking out full page ads in The Times and Telegraph, or whatever other Tory newspaper he was talking about in the UK. They will be partnering with the international carriers and wholesale distributors in those market places, to value add to the numbers that we are putting in.
The numbers are there, they are substantiated. The officers in the Tourist Commission do a fantastic job in understanding where to put the money, what the return on investment is. He well knows that. I just wish that members opposite would stop talking down the tourism industry. We had a press release from the shadow minister today, saying that the industry was in diabolical trouble. Well, again, I do not know who she is talking to. There are obviously some people who have done it tough this year, but the numbers have held up, the drive market has been really strong. We will be getting those international carriers back. Not a word of support for our investment into 1300 airline seats a week into the Northern Territory - not a word of support.
We have on the record in this House allegations earlier on that Virgin Blue were cancelling flights to Darwin because of problems with numbers. Absolutely false. We have the member for Drysdale on the public record accusing Virgin Blue of having a shoddy fleet. I do not know why members opposite to not support …
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is totally untrue and I ask that he withdraw it. Totally untrue and unsubstantiated.
Madam SPEAKER: We had this debate yesterday. As I said, I cannot judge whether it is true or not true. If you think you have been misquoted, you do it by way of personal explanation. Members making those allegations, make sure you are able to verify.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I would refer the member to the Hansard on 27 February as an interjection on an opposition motion, and that is where you pick up the shoddy fleet allegation. So, if you want to go back to Hansard you will find it.
So, $2m for Virgin Blue to bring them to the Northern Territory, $1m in terms of international marketing, $125 000 for an executive position in partnership with Darwin Airport to drive the capacity back, and not one word of support from members opposite. They are a disgrace …
Ms Carney: We suggested it, you fool. We suggested that you get one and you picked up on it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, you withdraw that remark, thank you.
Mr Reed: What, that he’s a fool?
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw it.
Ms Carney: I will happily withdraw that remark, Madam Speaker.
Mr Reed: It is an insult to fools.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, you withdraw that remark. I am getting a bit tired of this unparliamentary language, and you know it. People listening to this broadcast must be more than dismayed at what is going on. Just settle down and try to act in a little more statesmanlike manner rather than the rabble you all are at the moment.
Mr Reed: I withdraw that remark.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Madam Speaker. The member for Katherine was one of the individuals on the other side who tied up this House in a debate over five-and-a-half hours yesterday about the length of questions, the length of answers, how long the debate should go. He has taken over two minutes to ask the question. They want to maximise the number of questions in Question Time, so do we, but it is incumbent on them to keep the questions short and to the point.
Mr REED: Madam Speaker, from the equivalent of four full page advertisements in international newspapers, how many jumbo jets does the minister expect to be full with tourists coming to the Northern Territory from a measly $500 000 increase? I seek leave to table the 43 000 full on cost of an advertisement.
Leave granted.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, before you do start your reply, questions and answers have been lengthy. It is 25 minutes into Question Time and we have had five questions only. I suggest that both sides shorten the questions and the answers.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it really is amazing. I cannot remember how long the member for Katherine was tourism minister, but he obviously did not learn very much whilst he was tourism minister. I will go through the statement point by point. The return on investment is calculated on the figures that the NT Tourist Commission has kept for many, many years. He would know that the Tourist Commission has an absolutely extensive research capacity and function within that organisation, that they know down to the last dollar where we should be putting money in our marketing and what that return on investment is. They have those figures, going back very many years, and they use that information to make very strategic decisions about where to place the marketing dollar.
If he was tourism minister for a number of years in this House and does not understand that that is where the Tourist Commission gets their numbers from, well, it is little wonder that he failed to increase the marketing budget over many years to take into account the depreciation of the Australian dollar.
Regarding the return on investment of $12m, that is over the $1m allocation, so it is $6m for this year, $6m for next, on the $500 000. He also shows his complete ignorance as to how the Tourist Commission actually partners with wholesalers and airlines in those international markets to aggregate the amount of money that is put in. So, it is not the Northern Territory Tourist Commission alone that will be taking out full page ads in The Times and Telegraph, or whatever other Tory newspaper he was talking about in the UK. They will be partnering with the international carriers and wholesale distributors in those market places, to value add to the numbers that we are putting in.
The numbers are there, they are substantiated. The officers in the Tourist Commission do a fantastic job in understanding where to put the money, what the return on investment is. He well knows that. I just wish that members opposite would stop talking down the tourism industry. We had a press release from the shadow minister today, saying that the industry was in diabolical trouble. Well, again, I do not know who she is talking to. There are obviously some people who have done it tough this year, but the numbers have held up, the drive market has been really strong. We will be getting those international carriers back. Not a word of support for our investment into 1300 airline seats a week into the Northern Territory - not a word of support.
We have on the record in this House allegations earlier on that Virgin Blue were cancelling flights to Darwin because of problems with numbers. Absolutely false. We have the member for Drysdale on the public record accusing Virgin Blue of having a shoddy fleet. I do not know why members opposite to not support …
Mr DUNHAM: A point of order, Madam Speaker! That is totally untrue and I ask that he withdraw it. Totally untrue and unsubstantiated.
Madam SPEAKER: We had this debate yesterday. As I said, I cannot judge whether it is true or not true. If you think you have been misquoted, you do it by way of personal explanation. Members making those allegations, make sure you are able to verify.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I would refer the member to the Hansard on 27 February as an interjection on an opposition motion, and that is where you pick up the shoddy fleet allegation. So, if you want to go back to Hansard you will find it.
So, $2m for Virgin Blue to bring them to the Northern Territory, $1m in terms of international marketing, $125 000 for an executive position in partnership with Darwin Airport to drive the capacity back, and not one word of support from members opposite. They are a disgrace …
Ms Carney: We suggested it, you fool. We suggested that you get one and you picked up on it.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Araluen, you withdraw that remark, thank you.
Mr Reed: What, that he’s a fool?
Madam SPEAKER: Withdraw it.
Ms Carney: I will happily withdraw that remark, Madam Speaker.
Mr Reed: It is an insult to fools.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Katherine, you withdraw that remark. I am getting a bit tired of this unparliamentary language, and you know it. People listening to this broadcast must be more than dismayed at what is going on. Just settle down and try to act in a little more statesmanlike manner rather than the rabble you all are at the moment.
Mr Reed: I withdraw that remark.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016