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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (11 May) . . Page.. 1455 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

the building, which occurred, as members will recall, in the latter part of the election campaign in 1998. It might have been late in 1997 or early 1998. My recollection was that, as minister for the arts at the time, I performed that function.

Subsequently, I asked the Chief Minister's Department, which now handles the arts, whether there were any plans to erect a plaque in respect of that occasion. That is where the matter rests, Mr Speaker. I have no idea what follows from there. I have indicated no view about the role of others in respect of the-

Mr Corbell: Oh, no!

MR HUMPHRIES: We get this all the time from the opposition, Mr Speaker: an accusation is made somewhere-whether it is about Mr Smyth in respect of interfering in Gungahlin or me sending a member of staff to influence somebody at a particular occasion-and the automatic assumption is that whoever has said it must be telling the truth and whatever the minister is saying must be a lie. I put it to other members to put to me evidence that what I am saying is untrue. The fact is that I have made an inquiry about the matter and that is where my involvement in the matter rests, Mr Speaker.

I will say, Mr Speaker, that at the opening I was very pleased to acknowledge the involvement of Mr Bill Wood, as the former minister for the arts, in the development of the idea of a Tuggeranong Arts Centre-

Mr Moore: Senator Wood! It has a nice ring to it.

MR HUMPHRIES: Absolutely. It could have been Senator Wood; you never know!

Mr Wood: Another Senator Wood; a new one.

MR HUMPHRIES: A new Senator Wood! Mr Speaker, I am not slow to acknowledge those sorts of things; but the extent of my involvement, sinister as Mr Kaine may wish to portray it, was to inquire as to what notice or plaque on the building itself is planned, if any, to acknowledge the opening of the building over two years ago.

MR KAINE: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Minister, will you confirm that the person whose name you did not seek to have removed from the plaque was your colleague Mr Smyth, who, incidentally, was not even at the function?

MR HUMPHRIES: There is no plaque, Mr Speaker. If there is no plaque, we cannot have anyone's name rubbed off it. Perhaps there is an artistic blackboard-type plaque that we can change to acknowledge the possibility of the ACT falling under the control of Stalinist forces one day and history needing to be rewritten every few years. It might be very useful to have a blackboard-style plaque and do what was done in Russia some years ago-just wipe out the names of the people who are no longer in favour. But that is not my intention, Mr Speaker. I am quite happy to see a plaque in some very permanent form which will not be changeable.

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