Mr KIELY - 2004-08-17
Currently, we are in the midst of another wonderful Darwin Festival season, with a wide range of cultural and artistic events, and broad community participation in sport. Can the minister provide details on the extent of participation by local ethnic communities in the 2004 Darwin Festival?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. Yes, it is a wonderful Darwin Festival, which started last Thursday with the SantosConcert on the Esplanade. It was followed by the Kultura on Sunday at the George Brown Botanic Gardens. That was a true celebration of multicultural Darwin. We had performances by Australian groups, indigenous Australians, Torres Strait Islanders, Maori, Irish, Indian, Scottish, Bosnian, Cypriot, Pacific Islanders, Samoan, Brazilian, Indonesian, Balinese - a true Darwin. As Minister for Ethnic Affairs, I was pleased to see the participation of all these ethnic community groups. It was the first time some of them have taken part in the Festival of Darwin.
I was pleased to provide funding for this participation such as the Indian Cultural Society, which staged Purna Das Baul on Saturday, 14 August; the Tunas Mekar Balinese Collective presented workshops on masking, dances and dance; and the Chung Wah Society presented the Splendour of Yue Ju on Sunday, 15 August, a Cantonese opera that my colleague, the member for Johnston, enjoyed very much, attending at the university grounds.
We also provided funds for other programs, including Persatuan Indonesia Inc, which presented Pesona Indonesia on Sunday, 15 August, a true celebration of Indonesian culture which I attended with my family. I was very pleased to see the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Brennan there. It was very enjoyable watching the dancers and listening to the songs. It was very entertaining to see the two members invited up to have a stick fight. They were provided with sticks and were given orders to hit each other. At the end, the member for Brennan was declared the winner - it might be the shape of things to come!
The Office of Ethnic Affairs also provided funds for the Darwin Dance Company, Tracks, that would be supported by the local Sri Lankan Australian Friendship Association in cooperation with international guests from Sri Lanka to perform a ballet, Snakes, Gods and Deities. The Asia Pacific Cultural Village produced the Urban Village Cultured Beats, a massive drum battle that included 40 local indigenous, non-indigenous and ethnic performers.
Also, the ethnic groups will take part in the 2004 Darwin Fringe Festival. The Cultural Cafe will be held under the umbrella of Brown’s Mart, and will provide four days of cultural dance, music, stories and food from India, the Middle East, Samoa and Bosnia. Local artists from Papua New Guinea and Israeli backgrounds will provide a theatrical play to explore their experience as migrants, and the cultural displacement and inheritance of second generations.
Of course, we are very proud of the encouragement and funding we have given to ethnic communities. I was very sad to hear the Leader of the Opposition, on 8DDD on Tuesday, 10 August 2004, bagging the Festival of Darwin. It was really sad to hear him say: ‘To put on festivals which are just entertainment for the masses is something that I am not particularly keen on’. I am disappointed, because I thought he believed in multicultural Darwin, in theatrical and cultural performances, and the Festival of Darwin is one of these unique festivals that unite Territorians.
We are trying to build links between the community - we are not trying to divide it. It is very sad, because they are trying to divide the community. Looking around today and seeing the flags, I recall very well some European politician said, in the years between the wars, that nationalism is the last refuge of scoundrels. They are clinging to the flag of the Territory, trying to claim it for their own, just to prove that they are true Territorians. True Territorians do not have to advertise they are Territorians. They believe that they are Territorians. If they feel Territorian, they are Territorian. This is a Territory party that jumps to the instructions of the President of the federal Liberal Party.
This is a Territory party that brings a Liberal Prime Minister to open their headquarters. This is a Territory party that has a Liberal politician campaigning for their CLP member for Solomon. Is this a real Territory party? They can have as many flags as they like - Territorians know who they are and what they are.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. Yes, it is a wonderful Darwin Festival, which started last Thursday with the SantosConcert on the Esplanade. It was followed by the Kultura on Sunday at the George Brown Botanic Gardens. That was a true celebration of multicultural Darwin. We had performances by Australian groups, indigenous Australians, Torres Strait Islanders, Maori, Irish, Indian, Scottish, Bosnian, Cypriot, Pacific Islanders, Samoan, Brazilian, Indonesian, Balinese - a true Darwin. As Minister for Ethnic Affairs, I was pleased to see the participation of all these ethnic community groups. It was the first time some of them have taken part in the Festival of Darwin.
I was pleased to provide funding for this participation such as the Indian Cultural Society, which staged Purna Das Baul on Saturday, 14 August; the Tunas Mekar Balinese Collective presented workshops on masking, dances and dance; and the Chung Wah Society presented the Splendour of Yue Ju on Sunday, 15 August, a Cantonese opera that my colleague, the member for Johnston, enjoyed very much, attending at the university grounds.
We also provided funds for other programs, including Persatuan Indonesia Inc, which presented Pesona Indonesia on Sunday, 15 August, a true celebration of Indonesian culture which I attended with my family. I was very pleased to see the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Brennan there. It was very enjoyable watching the dancers and listening to the songs. It was very entertaining to see the two members invited up to have a stick fight. They were provided with sticks and were given orders to hit each other. At the end, the member for Brennan was declared the winner - it might be the shape of things to come!
The Office of Ethnic Affairs also provided funds for the Darwin Dance Company, Tracks, that would be supported by the local Sri Lankan Australian Friendship Association in cooperation with international guests from Sri Lanka to perform a ballet, Snakes, Gods and Deities. The Asia Pacific Cultural Village produced the Urban Village Cultured Beats, a massive drum battle that included 40 local indigenous, non-indigenous and ethnic performers.
Also, the ethnic groups will take part in the 2004 Darwin Fringe Festival. The Cultural Cafe will be held under the umbrella of Brown’s Mart, and will provide four days of cultural dance, music, stories and food from India, the Middle East, Samoa and Bosnia. Local artists from Papua New Guinea and Israeli backgrounds will provide a theatrical play to explore their experience as migrants, and the cultural displacement and inheritance of second generations.
Of course, we are very proud of the encouragement and funding we have given to ethnic communities. I was very sad to hear the Leader of the Opposition, on 8DDD on Tuesday, 10 August 2004, bagging the Festival of Darwin. It was really sad to hear him say: ‘To put on festivals which are just entertainment for the masses is something that I am not particularly keen on’. I am disappointed, because I thought he believed in multicultural Darwin, in theatrical and cultural performances, and the Festival of Darwin is one of these unique festivals that unite Territorians.
We are trying to build links between the community - we are not trying to divide it. It is very sad, because they are trying to divide the community. Looking around today and seeing the flags, I recall very well some European politician said, in the years between the wars, that nationalism is the last refuge of scoundrels. They are clinging to the flag of the Territory, trying to claim it for their own, just to prove that they are true Territorians. True Territorians do not have to advertise they are Territorians. They believe that they are Territorians. If they feel Territorian, they are Territorian. This is a Territory party that jumps to the instructions of the President of the federal Liberal Party.
This is a Territory party that brings a Liberal Prime Minister to open their headquarters. This is a Territory party that has a Liberal politician campaigning for their CLP member for Solomon. Is this a real Territory party? They can have as many flags as they like - Territorians know who they are and what they are.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016