Page 1181 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 24 April 1990
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Arts Policy
MR BERRY: My question is directed to Mr Humphries in his portfolio responsibility for the arts. I take it that Mr Humphries is more concerned about the development of an arts policy than he is about his Executive Deputy's public statements.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Berry, please get to your question.
MR BERRY: The question I ask is: who was responsible for drawing up the Alliance Government's arts policy and with what consultation processes was it developed? I want to know that just to see whether the Minister was interested enough to be involved in the development of the policy.
I take the opportunity, Mr Speaker, to point out that the sort of consultation that Mr - - -
Mr Humphries: Is this a question, Mr Speaker?
MR BERRY: Well, it is part of the question, Mr Speaker. I am just raising the issue of consultation in the context of the question so as to inform the Minister that the sort of consultation I am talking about is not the sort that Dr Kinloch was talking about at the lunchtime rally; that is, a casual chat to people.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; I request the member to ask the question or sit down - one or the other.
Dr Kinloch: Mr Speaker, on a point of order; I object to the term "casual chat". That is a falsehood.
MR SPEAKER: Please proceed, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Berry for his question.
Mr Duby: What was it?
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, I almost forget what it was. I think he eventually meandered around to the point of asking who was responsible for developing the arts policy. Well, the fact is that the whole of the Alliance Government was actively involved in preparing this policy. Dr Kinloch and I both participated in the original drafting of the document and all members of the Government participated in that process of drawing it up. It was a consultative document. Not only were the words that were taken to our joint party room developed in consultation between members of the joint party room but there was also extensive consultation with members of the arts community of Canberra, and that, I think, is entirely reasonable.
Mr Berry seems to be asking whether or not any formal submissions were called for by public advertisements or by letter under seal or whatever addressed to arts organisations in a formal capacity. If he is asking that
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