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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (24 May) . . Page.. 1687 ..

MR HIRD (continuing):

in this. This level of grant will further profile Canberra as a centre of artistic excellence. Over 100 artists and arts organisations currently enjoy support, and the increased funding will allow for a broadening of this base.

On top of the grants program, the government is also maintaining its support for the Canberra Institute of the Arts with $826,000 in the budget yesterday. There is also a $591,000 injection of funds for the capital works program for arts and cultural facilities and brightening Canberra with public arts. These fundings include $350,000 for the public arts program and $100,000 on Gorman House revitalisation. This proved to me the value of the draft budget process which was used by the government earlier this year. My committee, the Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Services, identified that Gorman House was an asset that needed revitalisation, and the government has responded with this amount of money. There is $96,000 for improvements at the Nolan Gallery and Lanyon Homestead, and $45,000 on forward design for a modern glass industry development centre.

Mr Speaker, the Carnell government's involvement in the arts to this high level is a justified recognition of the achievements of our arts community within the territory. I commend the motion to the house.

MR WOOD (4.21): Mr Speaker, I am pleased, with my colleagues, to support this very fine motion. It is a sensible motion of good sentiments expressed by my colleague, and I am sure it will encourage the government to build on developments over all the years and from all arts ministers.

I am delighted about Mr Hird's conversion to the arts. That is perhaps the best thing about this motion. Perhaps Mr Hird has seen that wonderful ray of brilliant light so that he can now stand up and propose such a motion. I am sure we all remember, especially those of us who were there, his savage attack against the arts community at estimates not so long ago. People from the Canberra Institute of the Arts and others were attacked-I use the word "attacked"-by Mr Hird at those estimates. Now, not only has Mr Hird been converted, he has become an advocate for the arts. That is wonderful. I wonder what comes next. He may even attend some arts events or galleries and extend his interest in the arts beyond that area of literature to which I know he is so passionately attached. He may even in the end get to like the arts. So, Mr Hird, I am delighted you have seen the light.

The second part of Mr Hird's motion congratulates those in the arts for their fine work. It bears mentioning just how vital the arts are. In the last week alone I have been able to attend concerts of the Festival of Chamber Music. That is finished now. It finished a week ago or thereabouts, at the weekend. Last Friday I was able to go to Big River, an excellent production put on by Super Productions. The next night there was the concert across here by students of dance schools in Canberra. It was a wonderful night. On Monday night I was able to go to the National Gallery and see a truly outstanding production by the Jigsaw Theatre Company. It will take that production to our schools. What a fine production company that is.

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