From the General Manager

A Meeting With the SA Cabinet

IAN HORNE – AHA|SA GENERAL MANAGER

WATCH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/9iWurjoAav4

In the lead up to the March 19 State Election, the ALP announced that it would be their intention to work with industry and that they would be inviting selected peak bodies to take the opportunity to brief the State Cabinet on their sector, ambitions and challenges.

The AHA|SA had such an opportunity in the last week of July.

Never in the living memory of this Association has the Association been able to make a presentation to the Cabinet which includes the Premier and all Ministers.

President David Basheer, Deputy CEO Anna Moeller and myself presented at the Monday morning Cabinet meeting, firstly giving an overview of the size and collective economic impact.

A more detailed discussion was held on staff shortages, liquor licensing ambitions, gaming and gambling, tourism and accommodation challenges and COVID-19 management going forward.

However, we did take the opportunity to lay claim to what we want.

Simply put, we want to be consulted on any issues that impacts on hotels and hospitality and the 26,000+ hotel employees.

We would prefer to work in partnership with the Government and with Ministers to get the best outcomes.

We emphasised that we want to be part of the solution and that our industry should be prioritised because of our decentralised capacity to create jobs and generate investments and finally we asked to be heard on what ‘living with COVID’ means. We made the point that restrictions, whether mandatory mask wearing or work from home directions, etc. have an immediate negative impact on hotels and hospitality capacity to employ and retain staff.

The Premier and Cabinet Ministers asked questions and shared perspectives. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to present our industry and are pleased with the positive and supportive response from Cabinet.

It was a meeting that was a long time coming but we hope will not be a once off.

It’s a very good start, however to the next four years of State Government.