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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 99 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 13 May 2021 by Mr D.R. Michael

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — CULTURE AND THE ARTS

99. Mr D.R. MICHAEL to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:

I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to supporting the Western Australian arts and events industry, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Can the minister outline to the house what this government's significant support has meant for businesses and jobs in Western Australia's arts and events sector?

Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied:

Yes, I can, and I am very pleased to. I want to acknowledge the member for Balcatta, a fine man of culture and a fine patron of the arts. He is a magnificent member and I congratulate him on his re-election, because I know that he is very highly regarded by his community just as he is in this place.

It is a great question because it is important to highlight to the house that, as we know, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on a whole range of industry sectors including, of course, the arts and entertainment industries. I highlight very clearly to the house that this government initiated a number of programs, ensuring that our artists keep on creating their art, that our performers keep on performing, and that the people involved in our entertainment and events industries continue to be able to participate in and put on great shows, festivals and events. We have been focused on that despite the challenges that have been faced due to COVID-19.

We also know that some programs have been implemented through the McGowan government's investment in our recovery programs. One of those is the $15 million Getting the Show back on the Road program that is focused on supporting the entertainment industry, the performing arts industry and the music industry so that they can, with confidence, continue to put on events and stage shows, even though we have had, of course, the threat of COVID-19. I have to tell members about the Getting the Show back on the Road program because it has been a very important investment that other states are territories have looked to copy. It has allowed the government to underwrite events so that if they are impacted by changed circumstances, there is a floor of support for them. That has allowed many, many events to take place, despite the pressures of COVID-19. There are a number of them that I want to go through. Earlier this week, the opposition highlighted that the entertainment industry in Western Australia had stopped; it has not.

The SPEAKER: Minister for Culture and the Arts, you and the Minister for Transport have ensured that the arts industry has kept going and that the entertainment industry has not stopped.

Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN: Absolutely. I am glad you are with me, Madam Speaker. We could be a double act!

Some significant events have been held over the last 12 months, including during times when there was significant pressure on the entertainment industry. We have seen Zaccaria Concerts and Touring hold eight events, including the Castaway festival, Birds of Tokyo, Hoodoo Gurus, Missy Higgins, Bernie Dieter's Berlin Underground, and the Good Day Sunshine Festival. The Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA continued to deliver three events, including Oklahoma!, The Cherry Orchard and Playthings. I went to The Cherry Orchard, and it was very good. The West Australian Symphony Orchestra performed six events, including Birds of Tokyo, Ben Folds, and the MACA Classic Series. The Fairbridge Festival continued and more than 45 other individual events have been supported through this initiative. What does that show? It shows that our entertainment industry in Western Australia is in very good shape.

I want to pay tribute to those artists, artisans, musicians, producers, the people who work behind the scenes and the people who work on the stage. They have been stoic under a great deal of pressure, but they continued to focus on delivering high-quality entertainment to the Western Australian public—and it is high quality. We now know that during the past 12 months many of our creative industry people have been honing their creative talents. When we are able to welcome audiences from interstate and internationally, they will be served up a whole range of cultural opportunities, which, of course, will be a huge boost to tourism, our visitor economy and to the psyche of Western Australia. They will deliver it to a place that we now know is not only one of the safest in the world, but also has one of the strongest economies in the world. That is what we have been doing, and we will keep doing it because we recognise that the creative industries play a critical role in the narrative of a diversified economy and a vibrant Western Australia.