Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I want to raise the issue of tourism with the minister. I might begin with a quote:

The Turnbull Government has jeopardised the growth of Australia's visitor economy and put at risk the ability of the tourism sector to become one of the nation's largest employment sectors by treating the sector as a cash cow.

That quote is not from the Labor Party. That is from the peak organisation Tourism & Transport Forum Australia. The Australian Federation of Travel Agents said this about the budget:

The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) is disappointed with the direction and lack of support that tonight's Federal Budget has delivered for the Travel & Tourism Industry.

So right across the sector this budget was met with contempt by organisations who understand that tourism is of course one of the supergrowth sectors of the economy, that the potential we have because of where we are located in the world and that the fastest growth that the world has ever seen is the growth of the middle-class throughout the region. Yet what we have seen in the budget is a $35 million cut to Tourism Australia over the next four years. Tourism Australia have identified a return on investment of 16 to one—that is, for every dollar that is invested, the national economy gets $16 back. It would seem to be very counterproductive indeed to be cutting back on tourism promotion.

The other concern that the sector have expressed is the increase in the visa application charges. One of the things about our modern globalised economy is that consumers can get information in real time about the respective competitive measures, and in tourism we are, of course, competing with the United States and New Zealand and with other potential destinations. The government has made a lot rhetorically of ensuring that Australia is competitive, yet in the budget the government changed visa application charges to receive an additional $410 million increase in revenue. That follows the increase in the passenger movement charge that was pushed through the parliament which was opposed by Labor, because both the major political parties went to the election in July last year saying that for this term of parliament there would be no increase in the passenger movement charge. Of course, the government threw that out and they have at least, to their credit, appointed a tourism minister. In their first term, they forgot to appoint a tourism minister, which showed the contempt that the coalition have for this sector.

Government members interjecting—

Those opposite actually think, and it is on the record from the new kid from on the block—where are you from?

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