Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport, Roads and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I simply note that the parliamentary secretary watches the clock closely, but as a teacher used to say to me, ‘Time will pass, but will you?’ I have a question to the minister relating to the Minister for Small Business and Tourism. Does the minister now accept the government’s outcome with respect to the review of open skies that our priority on the Pacific route is Qantas and Virgin Blue or will the minister continue to argue for overseas airlines undermining Qantas and Virgin Blue? Can the parliamentary secretary also advise me with respect to the decline in the Japanese market, which fell 9.2 per cent over the last six months, and how quickly the government considers that a Japanese soap opera will turn this Japanese decline around? Will the minister for tourism and small business audition for the soap opera? Secondly, given the importance of tourism to the Gold Coast and the partnership agreement between the Australian and Queensland governments for the Tugun Bypass, does the minister accept that the M1 must continue to be upgraded and widened in a partnership agreement between the Australian government and the Queensland government; and when will the Australian government—if that is the case—put money on the table to enable the work to continue on the Gold Coast?

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