Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My home of North Queensland is home to an abundance of natural assets and talented operators which contribute to a world-class tourism industry. In Tropical North Queensland alone, more than one-fifth of all employment is supported by the tourism sector. The Great Barrier Reef is a major drawcard, stretching 2,300 kilometres across the Queensland coast. It supports 70,000 Australian jobs and contributes $6.4 billion to the Australian economy.

Last week I launched my 'backing regional tourism jobs' campaign to support local jobs and encourage more people to spend their holidays in North Queensland. I have been meeting with tourism operators in North Queensland to understand the issues that are affecting them. As part of my campaign I will continue to advocate for regional tourism jobs across the entire North Queensland area and encourage everyone right across Australia to come to Queensland, see the reef and experience everything that we have to offer.

Right now we know that the industry is under pressure as the bushfires and coronavirus outbreak continue to bite. The temporary travel ban has caused thousands of cancellations for tourism operators in regions like the Whitsundays and Cairns, which are particularly strong markets for Chinese tourism. Of the 849,000 international visitors last year to Tropical North Queensland more than 200,000 were Chinese. Labor supports the health and immigration measures taken by this government in dealing with the outbreak, which is based on medical advice, but, unfortunately, we know that this time of year is a big one for Chinese tourists in North Queensland. To lose that market at this time of year is a really big blow. Already it has been reported that we could see a worst-case scenario of 1,800 jobs at risk in Cairns as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Tourism Tropical North Queensland has forecast that the coronavirus impact could start costing the region $5.5 million per day by 31 March. We know tourism numbers are down, and this can have a flow-on effect to other industries, including retail, hospitality, transport and freight.

It would help tourism operators, small-business owners and workers to see a plan to support the tourism industry from the Morrison government at this time. The Queensland Labor government has been quick to roll out a marketing campaign, but, unfortunately, we are still waiting to hear what this Liberal-National government is going to do in relation to the coronavirus. Today, in question time, the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment spoke extensively about the package that they announced during the bushfire crisis, and we understand that that support has been provided. However, I want to make clear that we need a specific plan for tourism operators now facing additional challenges, and what the government is proposing is not a plan for those industries, businesses or workers. They have no plan to help.

Now is the time for the Prime Minister to act—to show some leadership, to deliver certainty for tourism operators in North Queensland and to step up and release a plan on marketing the unique assets that North Queensland has to offer. But the Liberal-National government is more interested in itself than it is in the thousands of people who rely on a thriving tourism sector. Unfortunately, we have seen division in the Liberal and National parties when regional Queenslanders need them the most. Liberal and Nationals are quitting their party rooms, spitting the dummy and having tantrums. This week, when tourism businesses and the 70,000 workers in Queensland who rely on the Great Barrier Reef need support the most, we heard former minister Senator Matt Canavan dismissing the reef as just a 'few colourful corals'. That's from a Queensland senator, who should know better. Today, when tourism operators are meeting in regional Queensland to discuss how to keep their businesses alive, Liberal MPs are describing their own government like this:

It is like appeasing a child who has a tantrum.

It is time for this government to grow up, get on with the job and deliver a plan that protects regional jobs. Regional Queenslanders are resilient and they will get through the challenges that they face right now. But when they do they will remember who was there to support them and who was there to show the leadership that they needed. And it won't be the absolute rabble of a government right there.