PERTH THEATRE TRUST — TAIWANESE FLAG
106. Hon ROBIN SCOTT to the Leader of the House representing the
Minister for Culture and the Arts:
Events in recent years suggest an increased influence by
China over our state theatre. Recently, the Perth Theatre Trust apologised to
the Chinese Consul General for a performance that simply displayed a Taiwanese
flag. The Perth Theatre Trust also recently denied Shen Yun the opportunity to
perform at the State Theatre Centre, saying it only allows Australian content,
despite partnering with the Chinese Confucius Institute in 2018 to host the
Beijing Dance Academy.
(1) Has the government received any requests from the
Chinese Consul General to deny Shen Yun performing in state government
theatres?
(2) Does the
government stand by the Perth Theatre Trust's decision to not allow
Shen Yun to book a state government theatre?
(3) Will the
government allow Shen Yun or its agents to book a state government venue to
perform in 2021 and beyond?
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1)–(3)
As previously stated in the minister's
answer to question without notice 64 answered on 13 February 2020, the Perth Theatre Trust did not apologise to
China; rather, it acknowledged the concern of the Consul General. The
Perth Theatre Trust has not received any request from the Chinese Consul
General to deny Shen Yun performing in state theatres. The government stands by
Perth Theatre Trust decisions to program the use of state government theatres
in line with venue availability and programming policy.