Page 2756 - Week 09 - Thursday, 26 August 1993
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QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Tourism Commission - Advisory Board
MR HUMPHRIES: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. I refer the Chief Minister to her comment yesterday, quoted in the West Australian in fact, that Mr Charles Wright had been appointed to the ACT Tourism Commission advisory board on the basis that - and I quote - "He has an excellent record as a businessman and is well respected". Can she confirm that that Mr Wright is the same Charles Wright who was a director of Canberra Publishing and Printing and Canberra Mail and Print Pty Ltd? Did those companies go into liquidation? Did they, at the time, owe the ACT Government hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid payroll tax, general rates, water rates or sewerage rates? Had the same companies not paid group tax to the Australian Taxation Office for their employees? Did the employees of those companies not receive accumulated long service and recreation leave entitlements as a result of the companies' collapse? Does the Government believe that a person who has run two companies into the ground owing hundreds of thousands of dollars is a fit and proper person to advise the ACT Government on the business of tourism?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Humphries for the question, Madam Speaker. Clearly, I will have to take the first part of the question on notice and provide as much of an answer as I can. I am sure that members will be aware that tax matters to do with individuals are not the subject of public debate, certainly not on my part, and this will be no exception. I will take the tenor of Mr Humphries's question on notice, Madam Speaker.
The second part of Mr Humphries's question relates to Mr Wright's fitness to hold a position as chair of the tourism advisory board. I repeat what I said yesterday; that in my view Mr Wright is doing an excellent job. Members have only to look at the recent performance in tourism in the ACT to see that that is the case. I should note, Madam Speaker, that the rest of the tourism advisory board includes some of the most senior tourism figures in this town. It includes people like Betty Churcher, the director of the National Gallery; it includes Mr Harmouche from the Hyatt Hotel; it includes representatives from the Canberra Visitor and Convention Bureau; and, as I say, a range of people who are amongst the most significant players in tourism in this Territory. With Mr Wright at the helm of that board, Madam Speaker, I really do believe that the tourism board has been able to achieve a new spirit of cooperation between the industry and the Government. He has been able to achieve new cooperation between this Territory's tourism activities and the national institutions' activities, particularly the Australian War Memorial and the National Gallery.
Mr Wright, since his time on the board, has introduced some new initiatives into this Territory. The most recent of them was the winter sizzlers campaign for tourism, which did significantly lift the occupancy rates in our tourism industry through what traditionally has been a very low season, the winter season. I think that is a remarkable achievement by him. That campaign attracted the support of some 53 industry participants in the Territory. I think that that is an extremely encouraging sign, Madam Speaker.
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