Bob McMullan (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join my colleague the member for Canberra in making a case for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. As she has said, the CSO has become embroiled in controversy recently as a result of reported remarks by the executive director of the Australian Ballet, Richard Evans, that one of the reasons the Australian Ballet will not be coming to Canberra in 2007, apart from problems of cost, is possibly the quality of the CSO. This was a very embarrassing situation for me; I am a fan of both the CSO and the Australian Ballet, and I am a friend of many people associated with the CSO and I am a friend of Richard Evans. So I spoke to all concerned, and to some extent I think the matter is the product of a misunderstanding.

But there are some facts that we have to accept. The marginal cost of turning a part-time orchestra into a full-time orchestra, sometimes with the need to be supplemented by interstate players, is clearly more than the marginal cost of one extra performance for a full-time orchestra like the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, especially as the CSO has had zero dollars from the federal government until now. It will get $100,000 a year, but that is much less than the millions provided to the state symphony orchestras. But musicians I have spoken with who have played with the CSO and, for example, the Opera and Ballet Orchestra refute the argument about the difference in quality. I note the member for Canberra said that the CSO will be playing for Opera Australia in the forthcoming season, and all the information I have points to Opera Australia being very happy with that arrangement.

My advice to the Canberra Symphony Orchestra was: turn this adversity to your advantage; use the criticism to rally fans behind the CSO here in Canberra and in the wider region. I urge all Canberrans to look for opportunities to show their support for our local orchestra—show them we want them and that they deserve support. There are three opportunities coming up for people to show that support: on Friday, 13 October, the Canberra Pops Orchestra are playing a Friday the 13th concert—that is nearly sold out, but there are still tickets; on Wednesday and Thursday, 1 and 2 November, there is concert 4 of the CSO’s 2006 season; and then from 9 to 18 November they will be playing with Opera Australia for Pirates of Penzance.

Seize one of those opportunities, I say to Canberra citizens; you will not regret it. Let’s take a positive message out of this contretemps—that the people in Canberra and the people in the wider New South Wales region are proud of the CSO, that it deserves our support, and more support, and that we want the Australian Ballet back here in Canberra in 2008 performing with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, which would be to the delight of citizens here in Canberra and the region.