Page 2852 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 22 November 1989
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is a complex one, it requires careful planning, and I appreciate the fact that the Government is now looking at a five-year allocation under what used to be the community development fund-type grants to certain arts organisations. That will be a help, but I do not think any of them would gladly exchange that kind of certainty for broken promises of the kind that I have just alluded to.
MR MOORE (3.45): I think it is an appropriate time to state quite clearly that there are a number of things about this budget that I disagree with and that I do not accept. However, as a general concept, by allowing a minority to govern, I believe it is appropriate to allow that minority government to have its budget. I see it as its budget and I will vote in order to approve the budget as its budget. I believe that most members of the opposition have taken that stance and in no way adopt this as our budget.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister) (3.46): I might just respond to the points that have been made in the debate on this program. Mr Jensen again raised the question of the Tuggeranong Community Centre, and it is the case that there is a mistake in the budget papers. I think I have made it clear on a number of occasions previously that, yes, there is a mistake. The Tuggeranong Community Centre project was announced in the 1987-88 budget, so it is fairly old news now. A community based steering committee was established early in 1988 to advise on the community's requirement to work towards a design brief for that centre. The advice that I have is that it became clear that not all of the features that were entailed in early drafts of the design brief could be achieved within the available budget.
There has been continuing consultation with that steering committee to try to find ways of ensuring that the community gets maximum benefit from this facility. My colleague the Minister for Community Services and Health met with members of the steering committee late in October, and he has undertaken to examine all of the options as a priority and to get back to the steering committee as soon as is practical. I would certainly like to see an early resolution of this matter. I take Mr Jensen's point that it has dragged on far too long, and I look forward to an agreed outcome for the Tuggeranong Community Centre absolutely as quickly as we possibly can.
Mr Humphries raised the question of the possibility of an expanded arts festival to coincide with the Floriade. That was an election commitment that was given. Unfortunately, in these straitened times it was not possible in this year's budget to put up the $200,000 that that would have required, and I think it is the only election commitment that we have not delivered on in some way. I regret that, I regret it very much, but it was a matter of judgment whether we went ahead and spent that money, given the restraint that is placed upon the Government. I think now, particularly, that the decision not to proceed was the correct one, although I very much regret it.
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