Page 3688 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 26 August 2009
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Labor club? Yes, I am, as I am entitled to do. I have accepted a position urged on me by the Liberal Party until today when they introduced legislation to stop us—I wonder why the Liberal Party have done that.
Why have the Liberal Party decided now that they do not want the Labor Party to sell the Labor club? They want the Labor Party to stay involved in the licensed club industry. And now we see in the legislation to be introduced—and of course we will all be interested in the views of the licensed club sector on the terms of reference proposed by Mr Smyth to his Assembly inquiry into this issue—that in future no club, whether it be the Vikings, the Southern Cross Club or the local football club, if they decide to sell their club, can actually benefit from the sale. In other words, Mr Smyth is now proposing that there be an Assembly inquiry to investigate whether in future when any club is sold none of the proceeds can go to the organisation that owns the club. I wonder what the club industry will think of that.
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: my point of order is in relation to relevance. The question was about the Chief Minister’s conflict of interest. If he wants to debate the matter that he has referred to he can do that tomorrow in Assembly business.
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, I invite you to try and stick to the question Mr Smyth asked.
MR STANHOPE: I will conclude. I answered the question. I answered it absolutely and categorically. I have absolutely no conflict of interest in this issue. I have not changed my position. I have not done what Mr Smyth has done in relation to fireworks. I go to Mr Smyth’s view on fireworks, and the sensible and reasonable thing for all members to do today is to ban fireworks. What a hypocrite.
Arts—Belconnen
MS PORTER: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, as Minister for the Arts and Heritage, would you please advise members of the Assembly about the government’s commitment to supporting arts in Belconnen?
MR STANHOPE: I thank Ms Porter for her question and for her strong and continuing interest in the local arts sector and, of course, issues within the electorate of Ginninderra.
As members, I am sure, are aware, I think the most significant event of the month, or perhaps even the year, is the opening tomorrow of the new $9 million Belconnen Arts Centre. This new arts centre, a landmark project for the Labor government, highlights Labor’s strong commitment to the arts in Canberra and also particularly for the Belconnen community.
The centre will provide new opportunities for the people of Canberra and surrounds to engage with the arts, and I am hopeful that the opening program, which includes the official opening tomorrow and exhibition opening and public open day on this Saturday, 29 August, will provide some Canberrans that would not ordinarily engage with the arts with an opportunity to do so and to get involved.
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