Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2066 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

to be artists. We do not, still in Australia, support artists to the degree that we should or value to the degree that we should their contribution to Australia, Australian culture and the Australian economy. As we are seeing more and more, as I said, it is a very saleable product right around the world. It is a very short-sighted initiative or policy of this Federal Government just on those grounds.

The independent news service, the current affairs service, the in-depth programs that they produce and the questioning that comes out of their programs are very valuable to the Australian community, to the future of Australia, to social change and to innovation. I believe it is a tragedy, in fact, and one of the more worrying aspects of this Government's policies today, although I will have to state again, I am sorry to say, that Labor also did not seem to really understand the value of the ABC in terms of its policy measures when it was in government federally.

I do support this motion by Mr Corbell. I think it is a really important matter that he has raised here today. I hope that this does have some impact on the Federal Government. If it does not, that is no reason that we still should not do this. As an environmentalist, if there is one thing you learn, it is that you do everything you can if something matters. If one thing does not work, then the next thing might. All these things can have an impact in small ways. You are not quite clear what they are at the time. I support this motion wholeheartedly.

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, I seek leave simply to make a small amendment to my motion.

Leave granted.

MR CORBELL: The amendment reads:

Paragraph (1), omit "Commission", substitute "Corporation".

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (12.26): Mr Speaker, I was about to make the very point that if you move a motion in this place about the ABC it would help if you knew what "ABC" stood for. I was about to remind Mr Corbell about that.

Mr Corbell: It stands for an independent national broadcaster; that is what is stands for.

MR HUMPHRIES: It does not stand for exactly that. Mr Corbell has overlooked the fact that the Federal Labor Government corporatised the ABC 10 years ago; it must be that long ago now. It has taken Mr Corbell 10 years to catch up with this fact; but that is fair enough.

Mr Moore: It is just hankering after the good times, Gary.

MR HUMPHRIES: Hankering after the good times; perhaps he is.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .