George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Will the minister update the House on how the government's policies are driving growth in our vital tourism industry, including in the Whitsundays? Is the minister aware of any threats to this growth and to tourism jobs?

Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dawson for his question. He is particularly passionate about Australia's tourism industry and has a very good understanding of the importance of the jobs of the 600,000 Australians that are employed in the tourism industry and the significant contribution that his electorate, in particular, makes. I note that across his electorate he's got around 5,300 people employed in 1½ thousand businesses in the tourism industry. Each of those businesses is creating an opportunity for an Australian to be able to secure a job and to service the needs of a diversified regional economy like his.

This government is backing in Australia's tourism industry. We're providing record funding to Tourism Australia, and as a consequence we've seen record numbers of tourists staying for a record length of time and spending a record amount of money. Those are records that this side of the House can be proud of and that are helping to deliver the jobs and growth that all Australians are looking for. You'll be pleased to know, Member for Dawson, that across the three regional tourism areas that your electorate represents there have been some 446,000 international visitors, who spent around $323 million.

If we're going to ensure that Australia's tourism industry continues to go from strength to strength, we have to back it through sound policy. One of the most important ways that we can back Australia's tourism industry is through sound energy policy, because every tourism operator, every hotel, every small business relies on reliable and cheap energy to be able to ensure they have a robust future. In that respect, the Australian Hotels Association noted that energy is one of the most important inputs that they have.

Consider Labor's alternative, in the policy that it's put forward. The shadow minister for tourism likes to run around and talk about protecting Labor's legacy when it comes to climate policy. Well, what is Labor's legacy? Labor's legacy on climate change is a carbon tax. Labor's policy going forward is to reintroduce a carbon tax. We know its impact on the industry, as best exemplified by TTF, who described the carbon tax that Labor last introduced as being 'a job-shedding policy'. We know Labor's approach will just ensure that there are fewer opportunities for Australians to be employed in Australia's tourism industry in the future.

The simple fact is this: the only real emissions that the Leader of the Opposition wants to reduce are the emissions that are coming from the member for Grayndler. And, thankfully, his emissions have been snuffed out!