Page 1949 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 14 May 2013
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Mr Hanson: Point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order, Mr Hanson.
Mr Hanson: The question is specifically around the balloon, not about the broader centenary. I repeat the question for the minister’s edification: given the current level of national public ridicule of the centenary balloon, what strategies does your government have in place to counter that ridicule?
MADAM SPEAKER: Can we stop the clock, please. I think that the Chief Minister has said that she does not agree with the premise of the question, and she is referring to the balloon. But could you be mindful of sticking to the balloon.
MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The question also alluded to the evaluation that has been done across the centenary, in particular the one big day, which has nothing to do with the balloon.
I am responding to the fact that there has been mixed feedback about particular elements of the centenary program, which was part of the question. The centenary program—we can all focus on individual elements of it—does have a strong arts program but it also has a strong sports program. We have had a lot of good feedback from a range of different arts programs, even You Are Here, Mr Wall, which is a festival that supports young creative artists in Canberra—a lot of good feedback about that. $680,000 of the centenary budget was spent on that. $500,000 was spent on the one-day cricket that everybody seemed to enjoy.
There are mixed reviews about different elements of the centenary. But overall are we proud of the centenary program? I can certainly speak from my point of view: yes, we are. And a different evaluation—you have quoted one in particular; there was other feedback from the two studies that were released that said that people were aware of the centenary, that they had enjoyed different elements of the centenary, that they had gone to more than one of the centenary events. There are a range of different goals and evaluation criteria that have been set for the centenary program. We will continue to evaluate and, importantly, we will continue to respond where we have had feedback that people have experienced negative feedback. We will respond to that and we will make sure that at future events we are addressing those areas.
In relation to the Skywhale in particular, and it goes to another question, there are six flights paid for as part of the arrangements with Global Ballooning. Four of them are in Canberra, and Hobart is paying for three of the four flights there. So that partially answers the other question I took on notice.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: Chief Minister, what methodology will your government use to evaluate the success or otherwise of this program?
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