Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, thank the member for Moncrieff, otherwise known as 'Zootina', for moving this motion and recognising the great life of Don Burrows and his contribution to the creative arts in Australian society. Don's was clearly a rich life, from a boy lapping up the sun on the beach at Bondi in the 1930s to playing with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman and Nat King Cole. He clearly was one of those truly unique and wholly unmatched talents. Pioneering Australian jazz music on the world stage, entering the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1991, being named a National Living Treasure twice and having released 32 albums certainly demonstrated that Don wasn't just good; he was great. Don's place among the jazz greats is most definitely assured. Indeed—and I hope this is of some comfort to his friend the member for Moncrieff—it's not hard to imagine him right now up there in some celestial smoke-filled bar, playing with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald, with I was going to say a glass but perhaps a bottle of Scotch by his elbow.

In reflecting on the life of this giant, this man who brought music listeners so much joy and who dedicated so much time to not only promoting jazz but also providing opportunities for young musicians, we are reminded once again of the importance of the arts to our lives and our culture. Earlier this year, as the social distancing and restrictions kicked in, our theatres fell silent, acts stopped touring, movie releases were delayed and, for so many hardworking artists, including my sister, months of planned future work disappeared in days. As I've said before, the arts are vital, not only to our nation's culture but also as a mechanism through which we express ourselves and understand ourselves. This year we've been reminded, both through the absence of live shows and also in tuning into our TV shows to binge, just how vital the arts are. They challenge us. They help us to look at the world in a different way. But they also delight us, distract us and bring us moments of joy.

I am aware that sometimes, in certain company, just saying the phrase 'the arts' might cause some people to immediately conjure up images of experimental dance pieces performed to beat poetry. While I am sure that experimental dance performed to beat poetry has a loyal following, which I respect—I don't understand but I respect—we know that the arts are so much more. The arts contribute to our economy and create jobs. A report from the Chamber of Arts and Culture WA this year estimated that the creative industries contributed an estimated $3.3 billion in industry value-add to the WA economy and employed approximately 53,000 people. According to the ABS, across Australia there are 600,000 people working in the cultural and creative sectors. You can see the way that the arts contribute to our economy in events such as the Perth Festival, which this year had a $30.3 million direct economic impact on the WA economy and an $84.7 million multiplier effect. This was despite having to finish early because of COVID.

Earlier last month, I had the wonderful opportunity to discuss the challenges of 2020 with a number of wonderful arts organisations in my electorate of Curtin and in WA. I was pleased to be joined with representatives from the Chamber of Arts and Culture, the Australian Council for the Arts, Perth Festival, the Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, Steamworks Arts, Aura Film Finance, Barking Gecko and PICA. Being in a room with these passionate, intelligent and driven individuals was helpful and allowed me to gain further insight into what 2020 has meant for them. It also allowed me to also discuss the future of the arts in WA and how we could work together as a team to not just grow the industry but promote our unique voices and stories. I want to thank them all for the constructive discussion we had. I'm really looking forward to working with all of them and doing what I can to advance the arts in WA.

I recognise that there are still lots of challenges ahead, but, just as we've had to look at all of our industries this year, we need to take 2020 as an opportunity to look forward and think of new ways in which we can support the arts and also ensure their sustainability. I thank everybody in the arts for what they do and for their passion. What was present in the life of Don Burrows is shared by all artists. On behalf of the member for Moncrieff, I would like to finish by proposing to everybody who listened to the speeches today to put on a Don Burrows album—perhaps Cool Yule at Christmas to remember those we have lost during this coronavirus period.

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