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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (24 May) . . Page.. 1697 ..

MR HIRD (continuing):

spending $1.6 million of our money. I asked where the money was going and they could not give an answer. I asked why it was that the government on several occasions, over a period of 21/2 years, had to ask them to come clean with the information as to where that money was being spent-$1.6 million.

I will not belabour this, Mr Deputy Speaker, but the Chief Minister will confirm that all of a sudden, when I asked the questions and the figures and the books came forward, the figure was cut in half. So they were spending $800,000 of your money and mine. If you knew that and you were sitting over there, wouldn't you tear into us, Mr Wood or Mr Quinlan, with some justification? You certainly would. They were spending $1.6 million.

Mr Quinlan: Harold, I was there that day.

MR HIRD: I know you were. They were spending $1.6 million. Let us talk about the arts. My colleague Mr Smyth raised a very important point. When I was in school arts was seen as painting your school fence. That was art.

At 5.00 pm the debate was interrupted in accordance with standing order 34. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.

MR HIRD: As I was saying, when I was at school the art classes were formed around painting the fence.

Mr Quinlan: Finger painting was as far as you got.

MR HIRD: Did you go as far as finger painting? You went up a couple of notches. I was allowed to paint the fence.

Mr Quinlan: Art school, me.

MR HIRD: Now we know who the arty-farty is-Mr Quinlan, the old bean counter. I suppose he counted the jelly beans, the red ones and the black ones, and all those sorts of things. Getting back to what Mr Smyth was saying, we do have a heritage and we do have some benefit.

Mr Stanhope: Did you wind him up?

Mr Smyth: No, your fellows did.

MR HIRD: No, your fellows over there did. We have some enormous benefits, flowing right from the grass roots in the schools, through to the colleges and then out into the community. I have attended plays at the Canberra Theatre and the new Playhouse, compliments of the former minister for arts or the Treasurer at the time. It is a pleasure to see performances such as the Old Time Music Hall. I know you are a regular attendee, Mr Wood, and so am I.

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