Page 3745 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 9 December 1992
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AUDITOR-GENERAL - REPORT NO. 3 OF 1992
Annual Management Report for 1991-92
Debate resumed from 8 September, on motion by Mr Berry:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
MR HUMPHRIES (4.41): Madam Speaker, as it is quite some time ago that this matter was adjourned, I cannot recall the reason that I adjourned it. I am prepared to support the motion that we take note of the paper.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
CULTURAL COUNCIL - ARTS GRANTS PROGRAM
Ministerial Statement and Paper
Debate resumed from 17 November, on motion by Mr Wood:
That the Assembly takes note of the papers.
MR CORNWELL (4.41): Madam Speaker, the announcement of the 1993 operational and major projects - that is, those above $10,000 - categories of the ACT arts grants program ran to some seven pages with attachments. I thought it read more like a ministerial statement than a simple announcement speech, and I intend to treat it accordingly. First, however, I address the grants themselves. I find them unremarkable; I find them uncontentious. But I would ask: How could I do otherwise, because I have no comparisons to make? All that the Assembly was told was that the applications totalled $3m or twice the amount available.
Mr Wood: Could you say that again.
MR CORNWELL: Three million dollars or twice the amount available.
Mr Wood: What was that for?
MR CORNWELL: We were told that the applications totalled $3m or twice the amount available. If you want to listen, tell Mr Connolly not to interrupt. However, we were not given details of the unsuccessful applicants. I believe that this was and is a mistake and that this minority Government has exceeded its mandate, for, while it can claim that the ACT Cultural Council did all of the hard work and the Minister supported all of the council's recommendations, your party and your Government still represent only eight of 17 members in this place.
Your decision and that of the Cultural Council in the allocation of this $1.4m could be scrutinised by the majority of this Assembly, but to do so we would need to know details of the unsuccessful applications. In the absence of that information and aware that successful applicants have been advised of their success, so that it would be unfair to re-examine the 1993 allocations, I do not intend to take the matter any further. Nevertheless, I would be interested in the views of the Independent members on this situation and certainly the response of the Minister to my argument.
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