Thursday, 19 June 2025

Ministers statements: major events

Steve DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh – Minister for Environment, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Outdoor Recreation) (14:31): There is no denying we are the major events capital. I have already updated the house on the amazing summer of events where we broke record after record. But we are not just about summer; we have a pipeline of events. The first NBA team ever to play in Australia is playing in Melbourne later this year. We have secured Lenny Kravitz in the member for Mildura’s electorate. Forty thousand people from the UK are flying here for the British & Irish Lions in July this year. We have got the NFL coming next year, and more on that in a moment. We have got the return of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Ballarat. Last year, just as a point of reference, 2.7 million international travellers spent $9 billion in the Victorian economy as part of a $40 billion tourism industry.

Let us talk about results. I was proud to fly to the US to bring the NFL to Victoria, and I came back with the Premier’s deal done. There is another way, though. You could go to Adelaide and take selfies with Greg Norman. By the way, I met Greg Norman a couple of years ago. I do not feel compelled to post a selfie of every famous person I meet, but you could do that.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, ministers statements are not an opportunity for ministers to behave like grubs.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That was not a point of order.

Steve DIMOPOULOS: I did not mention any individual in this house at all. But you could do that. You could go over there, and then the day after you leave the LIV Golf event, the South Australian government signs with LIV for another 10 years. So we do not need any assistance from the opposition. While some people talk down Victoria, do you know where I was this morning? At the opening of Australia’s newest hotel by the 1 Hotels group, the newest luxury brand in the world. They opened their only premises in Australia right here in Melbourne, in Docklands. This is the investment and the confidence people bring to Victoria, if you are not a Liberal.