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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 126 ..
MR WOOD: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his statements. Minister, will you issue a somewhat detailed statement about the role of the Cultural Authority - or have you said all that is going to be said about that? - and its management of cultural assets? Does that mean the physical assets alone? What is the future of the existing Theatre Trust and of the committee established to advise on the operation of the gallery and museum across the way?
MR HUMPHRIES: I thank Mr Wood for that supplementary question. I think it is important, quite quickly, to define exactly what the role of the Cultural Authority is. Clearly, in the case of those two members of the Cultural Council, some confusion or uncertainty may have contributed - - -
Mr Wood: I do not think you have done it in good detail at all.
MR HUMPHRIES: I will confess to not having done that because it was the Government's intention to consult, first of all, with the members of the Interim Cultural Authority from the overview of all of those cultural assets before it finally defined what the extent of its authority should be. All I have done is indicate that it will not take on the role of determining arts funding issues, which is the role of the Cultural Council. I take Mr Wood's suggestion; I think it is a reasonable one. I will expedite discussions with the interim authority so that we are in a position to define clearly what assets and what sorts of assets are the responsibility of the Cultural Authority.
Mr Wood: If you ask them, they will expand what they ought to be doing.
MR HUMPHRIES: You misunderstand what consultation is about, Mr Wood. It does not mean that I have to accept what they say to me. That is the common assumption about consultation in this town: If you consult, you have to agree with whatever someone is telling you. That is not what consultation means. I intend to take on board their views, and when I have taken on board their views the Government will make a decision about what is the appropriate balance. Here is a case, presumably, where you would say we should not consult to the extent of agreeing with everything that is said to us. We should filter the views coming forward to us, and that will be the case here too.
MR OSBORNE: My question is to Mrs Carnell in her capacity as Leader of the Liberal Party. Mrs Carnell, I would like to start by saying I am very disappointed in you; I am disappointed because yesterday in the Assembly we were informed formally of the resignation of Mr De Domenico. I was amazed and disappointed because yesterday, after that was announced by the Speaker, there was a deathly silence. In the past, during my time here, the common practice has been for the party leader at least to say something about the outgoing member, as we saw with both Mr Connolly and Ms Follett when they resigned. In fact, when Ms Follett resigned every member of her party spoke. When Mr Connolly resigned both Mr Humphries and Ms Follett spoke. Mrs Carnell, my question is this: Was it an oversight or was it because, in reality, you never really supported or liked your previous deputy and, in fact, were glad to see the back of him?
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