Page 1221 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989
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those library facilities are essential to that whole proposal and we would like to see those in the same order as the lyric theatre.
I might just say about the Edmonds report and Mr Murray Edmonds, whom we met on our journey to Adelaide, that I found him a very convincing and competent witness. I found his vision a very broad one, a very dynamic one, and one I hope that we can encompass in what we might achieve here in Canberra. It may be, as Mr Jensen and Mr Wood have said, that some aspects are not entirely achievable. That may be the case. I would like to start from the proposition that what he suggests in his report is a worthy vision for Canberra, a worthy vision for what might be achieved on section 19, and see whether we cannot achieve that vision by our endeavours in what we propose for that.
Paragraph (d), I think, is a very worthy idea, the idea of pursuing the Commonwealth for financial assistance. I fully endorse that. I would not be averse, for one, to building a lyric theatre on section 19, calling it the National Theatre, and having the Federal Government contribute some of the cost of that, because that may be a way of overcoming our possible shortfall problem and perhaps of enhancing the quality of that facility. I would be very keen to see that, and if it meant the Commonwealth had some part in using the facility, all the better, to make sure that the facility is economically viable.
So, Mr Speaker, I welcome this inquiry. I will be an active and keen participant in its work, as will the other members, I am sure. I hope that we can produce a report which does balance all the needs here, which provides a good overview, and which ensures that Canberra has top-class, national standard cultural facilities in all these areas.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister) (11.29): I will be fairly brief. As Mr Wood has indicated, the Government supports this proposal of Mr Jensen. I must say, for my part, it is the first time on which I have felt genuine regret that I am not able to take part in an Assembly committee. I can imagine no more delightful task than being required to inquire into and report on cultural activity in the ACT, and I would be quite willing to devote myself tirelessly to that task, as I am sure all of these committee members will do.
Mr Speaker, I expect to see them appearing in the Assembly with bleary eyes, vacant looks on their faces, and having been totally overwhelmed by the task that they are confronted with here. Of course, the ACT is very much blessed by the variety of its cultural activity and the standard of the cultural activity that takes place here. We have some truly outstanding facilities in the School of Music, the School of Art, our theatres and our performing arts area and, as Mr Wood has pointed out, we have some truly outstanding authors resident in Canberra and we are
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