Premier withholding tourism report, says Page
Shadow Minister for Tourism and Member for Ballina Don Page has accused the Premier of withholding the report by John O’Neill into NSW Tourism due to its damning content.
“The Premier has had Mr O’Neill’s report since late last year and at least three months on has still not released it,” Mr Page said
“I suspect that the content is so damning for the NSW Labor Government the Premier’s Office spin doctors are rewriting the report to try to get the Government off the hook.
“Everyone in the tourism industry in NSW is painfully aware of the malaise the industry is suffering. The only people not confronting the issue is the NSW Labor Government.”
The Premier, Morris Iemma, announced a review by Mr O’Neill of NSW tourism in February 2007. Final submissions were received in August 2007. The report was completed and submitted to the Government before the end of 2007, Mr Page said.
“The Premier’s announcement was over a year ago. The industry is still anxiously awaiting Mr O’Neill’s report,” he said.
“The Tourism Minister announced the report would be released in late September or early October 2007.
“People in the tourism industry need a response from the Government now. The decline in the NSW tourism industry must be reversed quickly. The report will contain recommendations as to how this can occur.
“I call on the Premier to release Mr O’Neill’s report on the tourism industry in NSW immediately. I would also like to see the unedited version made available so that industry bodies can make an accurate assessment and take appropriate action for the way out of the mess this Government has made of tourism in NSW.
“The NSW Labor Government’s preoccupation with corruption scandals should not put on hold decisive Government initiatives to salvage the NSW $23 billion tourism industry.”
