塔州总理将亲自带头贸易代表团访问中国

PREMIER Lara Giddings will personally spearhead Tasmania's push into Asia with a trade mission to the region later this year.

The Premier yesterday annouced she would visit China and other Asian nations in September, along with University of Tasmania Vice Chancellor Peter Rathjen.

And Ms Giddings said she has appointed acclaimed community development pioneer Ernesto Sirolli to turn around the fortunes of three struggling Tasmanian towns.

Dr Sirolli will head a two-year $950,000 project to revitalise the economies of the towns of Scottsdale, George Town and Smithton.

In her State of the State address to State Parliament yesterday, Ms Giddings said a renewed push to promoted the state as an education provider would be central to her trade mission.

She said the tiger economies of Asia represented an opportunity that Tasmania could not afford to miss.

"The Asian middle class is predicted to grow from around 500 million people today to more than three billion over the next 20 years.

"These are the future consumers for Tasmanian wines, dairy, tourism, education and other high quality services and products.

"Now is the time to take strong action to ensure Tasmania is in the best position possible to take advantage of these opportunities."

She said the state could harness the power of the National Broadband Network to provide educational and financial services to China, could promote direct flights and seek direct investment from Asian companies to boost the state's industries.

Tasmania would recruit representitives in Shanghai to help push the education policy along, joining the recently-appointed Tourism Tasmania representative in the city, Ms Giddings said.

Tourism would play a part too, and Ms Giddings said the government would provide an extra $100,000 for hospitality funding to train the state's workforce.

She did not forget the state's battlers in her speech, announcing a $5 million from the sale of TOTE Tasmania to fund measures to help with the rising impact of food and energy prices -- as recommended by Social Inclusion Commissioner David Adams.

A Cost of Living Round Table will be held later this month to identify the measures which would do the most to help those struggling to make ends meet and 4000 food boxes would be distributed to struggling families over winter.

Mr Giddings appealed to Tasmanians to look on the bright side of life as she outlined how the state's economic future lay with engaging the tiger economies of Asia.

And she said Tasmanians needed to count their blessings, including historically low unemployment, a debt-free government and a resiliant state economy.

"We are at risk of a national gloom descending upon Australia, and Tasmania is not immune from this malaise," she said.

"We live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, noted for its clean air, pure water and stunning wilderness, we have a lifestyle that is the envy of the world, we have supportive and strong communities, with people who are caring and resilient.

"If we can lift ourselves up and think beyond the moment, Tasmania stands poised to benefit from its great natural advantages.

"We are in the right part of the world, at the right time, with all the ingredients for success."

The Liberal opposition claimed Ms Giddings had already announced the hospitality training funding and said her trade vision had been slow in coming.

"Lara Giddings thinks that she's Marco Polo and that she's just discovered Asia," said Deputy Opposition leader Jeremy Rockliff.

Liberal leader Will Hodgman will outline his alternative vision for the state today.

He is expected to unveil tough new resource security measures, including a plan to require a two-thirds majority vote in parliament to lock up any more forests.

http://www.themercury.com.au/art ... _tasmania-news.html

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