Page 1218 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989
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arts world. He certainly had that. But he set a great challenge to the theatre community in Canberra, if they are to meet the expectations that he wrote into that report.
There will be a great amount of work for the theatre groups in Canberra if they are to sustain performances in three theatres so that they are economically viable or drawing very few resources from the public purse. It will be a great challenge to the theatre community to fill those theatres. Indeed, it will be a greater challenge to the people of Canberra to fill the seats for those performances, if there are to be three theatres there. So some of that Murray Edmonds' confidence, which I have not yet acquired, I might say, will certainly be needed if that is to go ahead.
It is true that there is ample time, in these procedures that Mr Jensen has laid down, for responses. A recurring criticism that the committees get, as we move around, is "You have not given us time to respond". In this case, I do not imagine that responses will be required until early in the new year. That is ample time, and then there is sufficient time for hearings, for our inquiry, and to put matters together.
It also gives me time to accelerate my interest in the arts scene around Canberra and to make sure I can see as much as possible of it. I know that Mr Duby is going to be very interested in tracking around, and Mr Humphries and Mr Moore too, I am sure, and we will all be somewhat educated in what we do.
A member: It will be a cultural junket.
MR WOOD: Not at all. It will be a great experience for us all. Let me conclude by saying that the benefits of the arts to any community are such that they warrant the very greatest amount of support that can be given from the Government.
MR HUMPHRIES (11.19): The Liberal Party welcomes this motion and the establishment of this committee. I personally have a couple of concerns - reservations, perhaps - that I hope can be overcome through the way that the committee handles this task rather than through any change in the terms of the motion. The first reservation I draw attention to is the very broad nature of the motion. I suppose that is one reason for the very generous reporting date.
But, of course, if one looks at each of the items that are referred to in the motion, one sees a very great range of inquiries that might be undertaken, for example, under paragraph (a), "the range and adequacy of existing facilities for the preparation, performance or display of cultural works". We are talking here, of course, about everything from static art, such as sculpture and painting; through to performances of drama and ballet; to film, I
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