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RNZ
The agriculture minister’s ‘arrogant’ comments on tourism, made on the Central Districts Field Day last week, have been condemned as deaf.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor is coming under fire for saying that Covid-19 has taught the tourism industry not to be so arrogant after losing its place as the main source of dairy export earnings.
He made the comments late last week on Central Districts Field Day.
His constituency on Tasmania’s west coast includes Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, some of the hardest hit and tourism-dependent communities in the country.
People in the prime minister’s electorate have described his comments as deaf, shocking, and kicking business when down.
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Glacier Country Tourism Group co-chair Rob Jewell could hardly believe the sentiment was coming from his MP.
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Glacier Country Tourism Group co-chair Rob Jewell says he can hardly believe the sentiment is coming from his MP.
“Here’s a former tourism minister who obviously knows the industry, very, very well. To make that kind of comment is quite shocking. He was also a former tour operator a few years ago and would have thought he has a good understanding of the industry. “
Tourism was worth approximately $ 42 billion before the pandemic and was the country’s largest export industry, contributing 21% of foreign exchange earnings.
As a tour operator, Jewell said the companies were proud of their industry and their contribution to the country, but they weren’t arrogant.
“Frankly, everyone will definitely get hurt by those comments. He knows very well from his visit to the community how much we are hurt, how many people we have lost from our community, how many more jobs and businesses are under threat while the borders remain closed.”
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Westland Mayor Bruce Smith says he’s disappointed in Damien O’Connor’s comments.
As an MP from Tasmania’s west coast, Damien O’Connor would know, Jewell said.
You would like an apology.
Westland Mayor Bruce Smith is disappointed with the comments.
“With the benefit of hindsight, I probably hope he doesn’t say that again,” Smith said.
“He’s a former tourism minister and when you’re in an environment where people lose their homes, their businesses, their cash flow has been decimated, kicking them down the road is not the way to do it.”
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National Party tourism spokesman Todd McClay says the prime minister should step in and tell the MP from Tasmania’s west coast to apologize for his comments.
National Party tourism spokesman Todd McClay said the prime minister should step in and tell the MP from Tasmania’s west coast to apologize.
“His comments are deaf and out of touch with the devastation that is occurring in tourism under the supervision of his government,” McClay said.
O’Connor did not directly address questions about his comments or apologize, but instead released a statement saying he was concerned about hard-working tourism businesses, including those on the West Coast.
“By witnessing their experiences, many business sectors, including the primary sector, will reconsider how they plan for shocks of this scale, as this pandemic tests our resilience.”
