Page 260 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 2019
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MR HANSON: As part of that correspondence, Chief Minister, have you apologised to the Hartigan family, specifically Jack Hartigan, for the additional concern that I am sure he is feeling as a result of the court action and decisions?
MR BARR: I did not bring on the court action. I have acted at all times in accordance with the advice given to me and have sought to make a decision based upon all of the evidence available to me, including previous court determinations. I understand that this is a complex matter. This is a matter that is intensely personal for the family concerned.
But the point I have made is that political pressure, parliamentary pressure and media pressure cannot be the determining factor in whether an act of grace payment is made. It simply cannot. We cannot allow a situation where your success or otherwise in achieving a payment from government is based on your media campaign. That is a situation I could not, and no-one in my position could, allow to stand. The decisions must be made on the facts of the case and made in accordance with the Financial Management Act.
I will not be bullied or blackmailed into making a decision on this under political or media pressure. It is simply unreasonable and we cannot allow that sort of precedent in relation to decision-making on these matters. It simply cannot be that if you mount a media campaign or get a bunch of politicians on your side that that is the pathway to a payment. It cannot be that way. Anyone in my position, any future treasurer, would understand the importance of that. That is fundamental. It is not written into the act that if you get a campaign going you get a payment. (Time expired.)
Government—screen arts funding
MS CHEYNE: My question is to the Minister for the Arts and Cultural Events. Can the minister please update the Assembly on the outcome of the ACT government’s 2019 screen arts funding round?
MR RAMSAY: I thank Ms Cheyne for her question and for her clear, demonstrated interest in the arts in Canberra.
I am pleased to advise the Assembly that six ACT filmmakers, screen artists and game developers have been successful in securing funding for their projects through the 2019 screen arts fund. The people who are funded in this year’s round are Claudia Cooney, to work with an experienced screenwriter to draft a pilot episode script for a political drama series called Monsoon Season; Christian Doran, to develop a web series called Mirrors, which will further build on his already considerable achievements as a film producer and production manager, including as a line producer on the local feature film The Furies, which I was privileged to visit the set of last year in Bywong; Zayaan Jappie, to develop a short documentary on professional boxer Bianca Elmir, a young Canberra Muslim woman boxer; Marisa Martin, to produce a high quality short film, Violet Daze, that will serve as a proof of concept for a future horror feature film, working with an experienced industry writer and director; Meg Donnelly, for production of a short film called The Sacred, to develop her skills as a
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