Page 28 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 25 February 2014
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even get a chance to sit down and be at the table and they did not hear from the minister. They found out from others that they did not get the job. The fundamental point the minister is missing here is that it is not about the flexibility to hire who you want. It is about using taxpayers’ dollars wisely. Where is the objective merit? Where is the transparency? She settled for a festival director towards the end of last year who faced arrest for missing his court date not once but twice, who lost his job at a radio station for distastefully commenting that the former Prime Minister was “upskirted” by a “penis cam” in a cabinet meeting.
When you appoint somebody like this, what do you get? You get Nazi strippers—that is what you get—because it is about this minister’s lack of judgement. It was interesting to read the editorial in the Canberra Times last year. The editorial said:
It will be fascinating to see if controversy-prone Jorian Gardner gives Arts Minister Joy Burch any cause to regret her decision to hand him control of next year’s Fringe Festival.
I think that little prophecy was self-fulfilled. Fast-forward to when the Canberra Times wrote their story, and what was the minister’s response? “No comment”. I would not have much to say about my process if I had run a process like that either.
This is a serious issue. It is about a litany of failures across the entire time that this minister has been a minister, and against the criteria in the code of conduct she fails on just about every criterion. Integrity: “Ministers must act according to the highest standards of personal integrity and probity”. Where is the probity in the appointment of somebody without any process? Fail. Honesty: “Ministers must act honestly at all times and be truthful in their statements.” Members have heard the minister’s statements. They can judge her against those statements. Diligence: “Ministers must be diligent in the performance of their duties and fulfil their obligations to the highest standards.”
Let us read that litany again in terms of diligence. Was the minister diligent when we had all the problems with childcare centres and childcare costs? No. Was she diligent retweeting that message? No. Has she been diligent about the NDIS? No. When she closed the Women’s Information and Referral Centre, was that diligent? No. When she put out ALP marketing material in school bags, was that diligent? No. Covering her ears and going “La, la, la, la” when she did not want to hear something, was that diligent? No. The way she acted with care and protection, was that diligent? No. The delivery of the Tuggeranong 55 club—was that diligent? No.
Let us move to the latest issue, the Tuggeranong community arts centre. We asked this minister a question and her answer on what was happening at Tuggeranong community arts was: “My initial conversation with the Arts Directorate was to ensure that compliance for contractual arrangements is in place and we are satisfied with that.” So do nothing; nothing to see here. What is happening with Tuggeranong community arts? It has gone from bad to worse. Indeed, I understand two former members of the board have now written privately and confidentially to the minister. What did she do with that private and confidential document? Apparently it is out there for all to see and hear. Instead of talking to the two individuals who put the
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