Page 4115 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
that I just seem to take a role of being minister for launching things and giving away money—Mr Smyth certainly had a good crack in public media around public art. Back in February 2001 he launched Ainslie’s Sheep. It is a beloved piece of public art. He said:
The sculpture is sure to provoke curiosity and laughter … It also signifies the commitment of the Government to making Civic a vibrant place.
In March 2001 Mr Smyth was at it again, with:
The Public Art Program brings artists and the public together in innovative ways.
Again:
Public art demonstrates the diversity and the range of ways that art can bring to public space.
Again, from the party that wants to ban public art, in April 2001 Mr Smyth said:
… in commissioning the sculptures, the ACT Government was acknowledging the historical association of local Indigenous people with the ACT region …
This was in regard to three-metre by four-metre statues of bogong moths. For the benefit of those over there, five giant bogong moths landed near the National Museum of Australia. Mr Smyth, you did not show the same dignity to the bogong moths in Kambah. Then we have, in July 2001, Mr Smyth encouraging this new exhibition in Lanyon, saying it:
… is a celebration of fashions of the past (not to mention an opportunity to have a giggle at the clothes that the men and women of the early 1900s thought were all the rage!).… you’ll be fascinated by what’s on show … The display includes a selection of underwear …
And he encouraged families to come along to Boots, Brims and Bustles. Underwear at a fringe festival cannot be seen, but Mr Smyth was encouraging families to see underwear back in 2001. And we go on. There are multiple opportunities for Mr Smyth to stand proudly next to public art.
But let us go to public arts policy. I did look at Hansard from 1998 through to 2001. The only document I found was a policy document released by Kate Carnell. It is undated. I am not quite sure when it was released. But there on one of the pages, under “Putting arts capital into practice”, it talks about how the ACT government “will develop a strategy to ensure arts have a higher profile”.
It talks about implementation plans but, of course, I have not been able to find any of the supplementary action plans, KPIs or anything that Mr Smyth cannot find, does not seem to be able to find or seem to be able interpret the right way. This is the document and it has nothing. Of course we know what the community thought of the government back in 2001 and they booted Mr Smyth out of office.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video