Premier laughs off SATC’s ‘Radelaide’ and ‘City of Churches’ media ban
The Premier was quick to laugh off the response to a strange rule for visiting media that sought to ban two of Adelaide’s most popular nicknames.
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Premier Peter Malinauskas has moved quickly to distance himself from a bizarre effort to gag interstate media from calling Adelaide “Radelaide” just as the city turns up the buzz with Gather Round.
The South Australian Tourism Commission guide to interstate media asks them not to use terms such as Radelaide or City of Churches in their reports – which is expected to have precisely the opposite effect.
Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison went on ABC radio on Friday morning to defend the move, which sources say infuriated the Premier as it created a negative distraction from the growing Gather Round gloss.
“I think that’s a bit of an old-style way of thinking about us,” Ms Bettison said of the terms SATC wants to consign to history.
“For a long time we were the Festival State and I feel really strongly that festivals are a key part of our DNA.
“We’ve also been called the Wine State – so there are several kind of current things out there now. I think mostly what we’re doing is turning people’s heads.”
Mr Malinauskas only found out about his own government’s push to cancel Radelaide later on Friday morning when he was asked about it during a radio interview.
He then jumped on Melbourne radio to give the edict his own spin, speaking to Channel 9 sports presenter Tony Jones on 3AW who said he had used the term “City of Churches” in his own TV reports but never in a derogatory way, only in an endearing way.
“Why has the South Australian Tourism Commission put the request out that we refrain from calling it the City of Churches and Radelaide, why would that be?” Jones asked.
“The South Australian Tourism Commission among others is trying to make sure there’s a different perception of South Australia than there has been in the past,” Mr Malinauskas told Jones.
“But for me as premier, people can call us whatever they like.”
Noting the city has some beautiful churches but being unsure where the moniker City of Churches originated, Mr Malinauskas said rather than cancel “Radelaide” it should be embraced.
“In terms of Radelaide or Bris Vegas or any of these terms that stick with cities around the country, I say we may as well embrace it and make the most of it,” he said.
“Whatever people call us, just so long as they have a good time when they get here.”
Independent MLC Frank Pangallo labelled the move “dopey” likening it to stripping New York of its nickname The Big Apple.
Mr Malinauskas also noted that immediately on being elected the government made moves to get the Grand Prix back to Adelaide but the Victorian government “had it stitched up.”
“We don’t have plans in the works to make that happen,” he said.
“You never know, one day TJ, that would be the dream. South Australians would love to have it back.”
Melbourne-based Jones appeared unimpressed.
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