Mr MITCHELL - 1997-02-27
What is the progress of the Artists in Schools program?
Page 1989
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am most pleased to talk about our Artists in Schools program. It is a collaborative venture between the Northern Territory Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Department of Education's curriculum advisory service unit. It provides opportunities for professional artists to work with young people in our Territory schools. It is a valuable extension of the curriculum arts program. It is certainly a far more appropriate outlet for young people to channel their creative skills than by defacing public property.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr MANZIE: I hear `hear, hear' from across the road. However, I was extremely upset recently when I saw the Labor opposition promoting and legitimising graffiti.
Members interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Members opposite laugh and carry on. They think it is a joke. I just ask honourable members to ...
Mr Bailey: You are the joke.
Mr MANZIE: I ask the member for Wanguri to be quiet for a while. The community may want to hear how the Labor opposition behaves in the Territory. He does not want us to hear, does he? He does not want anyone to hear.
I will tell the House what happened when the opposition launched its truancy program. The Leader of the Opposition turned up at the public toilets at the Nightcliff Aquatic Centre. Remember? She was going to launch a program on truancy in front of some `street art'.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much interjection across the floor.
Mr MANZIE: As I said, legal `street art'. She was to launch a truancy program in front of `street art'. It was not `street art' - it was graffiti. It was such a mess that the people who operate the aquatic centre had painted it out. When she arrived she found - oops, it was gone. And she complained! She described it as `legal street art' and she complained that it was gone. She had to go and find some other graffiti. Not only is she not working to prevent this sort of thing, she is actively encouraging it!
Mr Coulter: Promoting it.
Mr MANZIE: Exactly. I think that is typical of the ALP in the Territory. It is ridiculous. The community is fed up with graffiti. People have just been talking about it on talkback radio. People in our community are raising concerns about it. In fact, I have been working in my electorate with Neighbourhood Watch to try to encourage the community to work together to get rid of the graffiti as it appears. I will continue doing that, but it is pretty difficult when people like the Leader of the Opposition talk it up.
Page 1990
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I can see a vague reference to graffiti in relation to the Artists in Schools program, because I know they do murals. In fact, a very extensive mural was created at Dripstone High School through the Artists in Schools program. My point of order is that, while the minister may at one stage make a comment in relation to graffiti, I think for him to go on and on about graffiti in the community is hardly a response to a question relating to the Artists in Schools program.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order, but I ask the minister to wind up the answer to his question as quickly as he possibly can.
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, I shall endeavour to do that. It is difficult when one is subjected repeatedly to catcalls from across the road here. Not only are these people not supporting programs like the Artists in Schools program, but they are out there glorifying graffiti - as part of the truancy program!
I have a letter here - probably costing another $50 000 of taxpayers' money - on the Leader of the Opposition's letterhead. It is about truancy. There is nothing about the graffiti that the opposition was going to work into its program. I table that letter. It is another example of the ALP using taxpayers' money to promote its policies. While it is promoting its policies, it is encouraging graffiti in the streets.
The government has put $40 000 into our Artists in Schools program. It is a great success. It creates great interest, and it encourages young people to be positive about becoming involved in the arts. On the other hand, the opposition wants to ruin our communities and ruin the quality of life that Territorians have enjoyed under a CLP administration for many years.
Page 1991
Page 1989
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am most pleased to talk about our Artists in Schools program. It is a collaborative venture between the Northern Territory Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Department of Education's curriculum advisory service unit. It provides opportunities for professional artists to work with young people in our Territory schools. It is a valuable extension of the curriculum arts program. It is certainly a far more appropriate outlet for young people to channel their creative skills than by defacing public property.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr MANZIE: I hear `hear, hear' from across the road. However, I was extremely upset recently when I saw the Labor opposition promoting and legitimising graffiti.
Members interjecting.
Mr MANZIE: Members opposite laugh and carry on. They think it is a joke. I just ask honourable members to ...
Mr Bailey: You are the joke.
Mr MANZIE: I ask the member for Wanguri to be quiet for a while. The community may want to hear how the Labor opposition behaves in the Territory. He does not want us to hear, does he? He does not want anyone to hear.
I will tell the House what happened when the opposition launched its truancy program. The Leader of the Opposition turned up at the public toilets at the Nightcliff Aquatic Centre. Remember? She was going to launch a program on truancy in front of some `street art'.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much interjection across the floor.
Mr MANZIE: As I said, legal `street art'. She was to launch a truancy program in front of `street art'. It was not `street art' - it was graffiti. It was such a mess that the people who operate the aquatic centre had painted it out. When she arrived she found - oops, it was gone. And she complained! She described it as `legal street art' and she complained that it was gone. She had to go and find some other graffiti. Not only is she not working to prevent this sort of thing, she is actively encouraging it!
Mr Coulter: Promoting it.
Mr MANZIE: Exactly. I think that is typical of the ALP in the Territory. It is ridiculous. The community is fed up with graffiti. People have just been talking about it on talkback radio. People in our community are raising concerns about it. In fact, I have been working in my electorate with Neighbourhood Watch to try to encourage the community to work together to get rid of the graffiti as it appears. I will continue doing that, but it is pretty difficult when people like the Leader of the Opposition talk it up.
Page 1990
Mr BAILEY: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I can see a vague reference to graffiti in relation to the Artists in Schools program, because I know they do murals. In fact, a very extensive mural was created at Dripstone High School through the Artists in Schools program. My point of order is that, while the minister may at one stage make a comment in relation to graffiti, I think for him to go on and on about graffiti in the community is hardly a response to a question relating to the Artists in Schools program.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order, but I ask the minister to wind up the answer to his question as quickly as he possibly can.
Mr MANZIE: Mr Speaker, I shall endeavour to do that. It is difficult when one is subjected repeatedly to catcalls from across the road here. Not only are these people not supporting programs like the Artists in Schools program, but they are out there glorifying graffiti - as part of the truancy program!
I have a letter here - probably costing another $50 000 of taxpayers' money - on the Leader of the Opposition's letterhead. It is about truancy. There is nothing about the graffiti that the opposition was going to work into its program. I table that letter. It is another example of the ALP using taxpayers' money to promote its policies. While it is promoting its policies, it is encouraging graffiti in the streets.
The government has put $40 000 into our Artists in Schools program. It is a great success. It creates great interest, and it encourages young people to be positive about becoming involved in the arts. On the other hand, the opposition wants to ruin our communities and ruin the quality of life that Territorians have enjoyed under a CLP administration for many years.
Page 1991
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016