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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 5141 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

I think it is ridiculous for the minister to say that the committee is not inclusive enough and that it should advertise. If you applied that criterion to most of the committees in the ACT I am sure you could find fault with all of them. A lot of people would not necessarily be interested in being on these committees.

I am pretty damn certain that the ACT Rugby Union Committee and a few other committees are not terribly reflective of the community either, but that does not stop them getting funding. Others on the Australia Day Committee include Joe Guingi from the Fyshwick Markets and Ken Helm, an independent. My colleague Mr Smyth has also mentioned a number of people who are on it.

Australia Day is an event which has been funded by all ACT governments. It is a wonderful day in the park and provides a lot of enjoyment for many thousands of our citizens. There is community singing through to public speaking and impromptu acts-people getting up and reciting poetry. I was amazed to hear the minister say that we cannot have two concerts, which was one of the prime events in the application of Australia Day in the National Capital Inc. The ACT Festival Fund Assessment Committee, which assessed the application, decided not to fund it.

In the debate earlier, the application was here-Mr Smyth might have tabled the application since; I do not know-and I had a good look through it and noted that there were about eight or nine different things happening together with the concert, including fireworks. I know this government does not like fireworks-it has had a lot of problems with illegal fireworks being let off and people finding mortar all over the place-and that they were canned last year for Australia Day, which I think is quite churlish. Perhaps there was some subconscious problem and the money was not available because of the fireworks.

I hark back to the committee and ask the minister: is there something wrong with the committee? Is this committee not politically correct? As I said, I am delighted to get off. I am not terribly politically correct, I am sorry. I am probably not the sort of person you want on the committee and I would be happy to get off. I am an MLA; I am not inclusive-you have to be born here. I have a conflict and I declare it: I am a member of the committee.

I approached the government last year for funding because it was a bit tardy in this area. The government did fund the committee. It was not what the committee had asked for-it was about 80 per cent-nevertheless, it was gratefully received. The government needed a bit of a push and a shove along, but it gave the funding. However, this year funding has been cut.

Thousands of Canberrans come to Commonwealth Park for the Australia Day event. Many people come back every year. Events are organised and a show is put on by the committee. There is something for everyone to enjoy, be it a five-year-old kid or an 80-year-old. There is a lovely informal atmosphere in the park with lots of events.

Marjorie Turbayne, a senior citizen-she would not mind me saying that-and president of the Australia Day committee, has put in a magnificent effort over many years. Perhaps the festival committee did not like the fact that she has an MBE or that she is an old monarchist or something; perhaps that has something to do with it. Perhaps the problem

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