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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 3 Hansard (7 March) . . Page.. 598 ..

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, my question, through you, is to the Chief Minister. It is not about gas-fired power stations, although at the end of the day it might generate as much heat and perhaps less light. It is about the aborted rock concert at Bruce Stadium last Saturday night, which was apparently cancelled at about the time that people were turning up at the gate to gain admission. Chief Minister, what were the contractual arrangements between the promoters of the concert and the ACT Government and its agencies, particularly Bruce Operations and/or the Stadiums Corporation? In particular, were any financial guarantee arrangements entered into? Has the cancellation of the concert left the ACT financially exposed in any way?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I have to say that I was one of the people ready to go to the rock concert and - - -

Mr Kaine: Yes, I heard you were one of the last to be advised.

MS CARNELL: That is the way it is these days, Mr Kaine. The Ultimate Rock Symphony was a joint venture between the International Touring Co. and Bruce Operations Pty Ltd. As we all know, the show was scheduled to go ahead on the night of Saturday, 4 March - last weekend. The Ultimate Rock Symphony is being put on in Australia by the promoter, the International Touring Co. Canberra was one of nine venues. By the time the show was to play in Canberra, it had already been to Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong.

The International Touring Co. and BOPL were joint venturing on a fifty-fifty basis, which means that both entities would share 50 per cent of both the revenue and the expenses. The International Touring Co. are the event managers and coordinators, which means that they are responsible for the artists, production, show logistics, marketing and the advertising program. The International Touring Co. is therefore the promoter and BOPL provided the facility.

The revenue for the show was to be generated out of ticket sales, food and beverage sales and marketing. The International Touring Co., as the promoter, made a decision on Saturday evening to cancel the show, due to the illness of four of the show's stars - Roger Daltrey, Paul Rodgers, Nikki Lamborn and Billy Thorpe. Roger Daltrey was involved in a car accident the day before and the doctor who looked at him on Saturday night determined that he was suffering from concussion and whiplash and would not let him perform. The other three were suffering the effects of the flu. Those four performers, particularly Roger Daltrey, were a large part of the show; hence, the promoter decided that the show could not go on.

The International Touring Co. had taken out insurance for the tour, so it is believed that all the costs incurred to date in relation to the show and the costs associated with the cancellation will be covered. This includes both the promoter's costs and BOPL's costs. I am advised that ticket sales for the show were very good and that ticket refunds were processed on Monday, with credit card transactions being reversed on the Sunday. I certainly share the disappointment of many of the ticket holders with not being able to see the show.

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