It has taken Mr Briggs two months to make it KI despite Kingscote being his strongest booth on election day.

Mr Briggs said he had planned to come to the island sooner but on the day he was to visit his wife had their baby.

“I figure the best way to do it is to come over for big blocks of time,” Mr Briggs said.

Mr Briggs won the seat in September after fellow Liberal Alexander Downer stepped down.

Mr Briggs spent the weekend and Monday touring KI, visiting tourist operations, producers and the Kingscote Show.

“We went to the Southern Ocean Lodge,” he said.

“It’s a great thing for the island, I think it puts KI on the international map and it’s that extra step up.”

Mr Briggs said he wanted to talk to the South Australian Tourism Commission about making KI stronger in the tourism industry.

The global financial crisis has been a hot topic of discussion for Mr Briggs with his constituents on KI.

“I think people are generally worried about the financial crisis,” he said.

“We are in a strong position in Australia because the fundamentals are strong.

“We have had surplus budgets but whether we have a surplus next year is yet to be seen.”

Mr Briggs said KI’s industry diversity would help in these difficult financial times.

“The aquaculture industry is developing, of course tourism, and there’s a strong rural industry,” he said.

“Hopefully we get a reasonable crop this year.”

Mr Briggs said he would definitely be back for the Kangaroo Island Cup in February, and perhaps a visit in between with his “mobile electorate office”.