Page 2662 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 25 August 1993
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QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Tourism Commission - Advisory Board
MRS CARNELL: My question is addressed to the Chief Minister. I refer to the appointment earlier this year of Mr Charles Wright as the chairperson of the advisory board of the ACT Tourism Commission. I ask: Is it not a fact that Charles Wright is the same Charles Wright identified in the WA Inc. royal commission as being Brian Burke's bagman, responsible for transferring $80,000 in funds between Mr Burke and his secretary, Barbara Brush, as payment for organising ALP fundraising in Western Australia? In light of Mr Wright's unfavourable mention in the royal commission, what reason did the Chief Minister have for appointing Mr Wright to the Tourism Commission advisory board, apart from helping one of Labor's mates?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I find Mrs Carnell's slur on Mr Wright absolutely disgraceful. I can say to her that I appointed Mr Wright to chair the tourism advisory board because of his excellent record as a businessman and because he is well known in Canberra and, I believe, well respected as well. Madam Speaker, I consider that, since the time that Mr Wright was appointed as chairman, tourism in the Territory has done extremely well indeed under his chairmanship. I believe also that the advisory body is performing very well, and they are looking at a range of new events, new activities, for ACT tourism. I find that very encouraging indeed, as do I find encouraging the fact that the tourism advisory board is working very well, very cohesively, as a group. Madam Speaker, in making appointments to bodies such as the tourism advisory board I look for a balance of representation from industry and from associations and so on, and I look for effective chairing. I believe that that is what Mr Wright has provided and will continue to provide.
MRS CARNELL: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Given the Chief Minister's answer that Mr Wright is a fit and proper appointment, regardless of what the WA Inc. royal commission said, I ask: Was the job advertised and how many applicants were interviewed?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, this is an appointment; it is not a public service job. Unlike the Liberals opposite, who simply made appointments to public service type positions without advertising, this Government does advertise such positions and will in fact continue to advertise for heads of departments and public servants in the manner that I believe is appropriate. In looking for people to appoint to boards, from time to time we do advertise vacancies on boards. We also advertise for people to put forward their names to a register, to signify that they are available and interested in serving on a range of boards, and we use that register frequently.
Madam Speaker, as I say, I think that the slur that is coming from members opposite is disgraceful. It pays no credit to people who wish to come forward and serve their community on a range of government advisory boards and consultative boards. Madam Speaker, in my view, the appropriateness of an appointment ought to be in the service that is rendered. I am more than happy with the service that Mr Wright is rendering to the tourism industry and to the community of the ACT.
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