Page 3205 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 20 August 2019
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No doubt the Cultural Facilities Corporation will continue to take entrepreneurial but measured risks in staging productions. Mama Mia!—from a couple of years ago—was a prime example. Its success stretched over many aspects, including attracting significant tourism to Canberra. I am confident that the corporation will continue to undertake ventures of this kind into the future.
This, on top of the hirings it takes for its venues and the new ways the corporation finds to attract people to its entertainment, cultural and heritage facilities, continues to demonstrate that the Cultural Facilities Corporation is a valuable asset for the people of Canberra. I commend the corporation and its staff on its commitment to its vision and mission and congratulate it on what it achieves for the nation’s capital.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
ACT Gambling and Racing Commission—1.18
MR PARTON (Brindabella) (5.03): Madam Deputy Speaker, it is a pleasure to direct some remarks towards this area of government expenditure and I will address all of my comments regarding gaming and racing at this particular point in time.
There has never, ever been a worse time to run a community club in Canberra than in 2019, as the minister sets about fulfilling the Chief Minister’s desire to destroy Canberra’s local clubs. Those on the other side, I am sure, will be rolling their eyes and talking about scaremongering. I can see that wonderful face from the Chief Minister now. All I can say is that I spend much more time genuinely engaging with the clubs that are being affected by this. I have seen the bottom lines. We have some diabolical situations that are arising. I know what the next club will be to close. It will close in the next six months—it will close before the end of the year—and it will not be the last.
Just as this government squeeze their citizens for every cent they can, they have squeezed our community clubs consistently, making it harder and harder for our clubs to provide for the many community groups that rely on them. I am just astounded at the belief that seemingly comes from the other side that somehow there are people in the club sector that are making money here. Nobody is. There is no money being made. These are community clubs. They were set up to provide facilities, infrastructure and services for the community. That is what they do. That is what they are about.
They are finding it much more difficult with the constant changing of the goalposts. Ever-tightening regulations under this government are continuing to make it tougher to run a community club in the ACT. And as that is going on, most of the community clubs—most of them—are continually dismayed at the lack of engagement, certainly from this minister. The lack of engagement from government is astounding. Our community clubs need to be given time to adjust to change. We cannot expect our clubs to be able to undertake diversification while they are constantly changing the goalposts and requiring them to make more and more financial commitments and squeeze their budgets.
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