National Media Releases

Sorry Martin? Say again... - Mr Steven Ciobo MP

27th January 2010

Today’s much hyped announcement of a Rudd Government tourism handout has been welcomed by Shadow Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo – just as it was when it was first announced three months ago.

“There’s not a single dollar of extra spending there. It’s nothing more than another Labor Government exercise in smoke and mirrors, a re-announcement of $9 million in government funding that was due to the industry in any case.”

“This announcement is a classic piece of Rudd Government spin – trumpeting money which was already there and has simply been pulled out of future Tourism Australia budgets (2010/11).

“What we’ve really witnessed today is evidence of Mr Ferguson’s inability to negotiate funding for the industry. He provided the industry no extra support during the global financial crisis and stood by watching as business tourism in Australia declined.”

Mr Ciobo said it was an indictment of the Rudd Government that private tourism operators and state tourism organisations had to tip in $11 million of their own money to jolt Mr Ferguson into action.

Mr Ciobo said today’s hollow, non-news of government funding followed soon after Mr Ferguson’s woefully empty long-term tourism “strategy” which had been two years in the making.

“Mr Ferguson’s so-called ‘strategy’ was another exercise in Ruddisms, no new funding and more bureaucracy. His report was straight from the Rudd glossary of ‘facilitations’ and ‘frameworks’, ‘issue-specific working groups’ and ‘problem-solving mandates’, and had not a cent of additional funding.

“While it is good to see the industry get a boost, the Rudd Government shouldn’t be too quick to claim the credit.

“While the industry has had two of its most challenging years, the Rudd Government has shown scant interest in its fortunes, lumbering it not only with $1 billion in new taxes, but now a workplace relations regime that will hamper growth.

“If I were a tourism operator or one of the 500,000 people dependent on the industry I’d be asking myself if this Minister and this government care at all.”