House debates

Monday, 26 October 2009

Questions without Notice

Australian War Memorial

3:34 pm

Photo of Louise MarkusLouise Markus (Greenway, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. Will the minister confirm to this House that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is spending $1.3 million on a consultancy to provide an upmarket executive leadership program and that his department has spent an additional $10,000 on a separate consultancy to ‘plan and coordinate the Department of Veterans’ Affairs sports carnival’? Minister, why then has the Department of Veterans’ Affairs cut $1.3 million from the budget of the Australian War Memorial, forcing the War Memorial to seek commercial sponsorship for the last post ceremony, one of our most sacred rituals, which commemorates Australians who have given and continue to give their lives for us? Minister, what does this say about this government’s priorities?

Photo of Alan GriffinAlan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

I will go through the issues raised by the shadow minister. One was the issue of staff learning and development and the need to provide support in that area. There are a couple of things that need to be understood there. This is something that occurs within departments and within governments of all political persuasions. In fact, it is something that governments would generally see as something they should do. But I agree with the opposition that, when times are tough, you need to look at exactly what sort of priority you put on that. That is why under this government we have cut the level of spending with respect to that type of assistance within the department. Just to give some figures to the House, in 2008-09, departmental expenditure on learning and development was a total of $3.96 million; in 2007-08, $4.6 million; in 2006-07, $4.46 million; in 2005-06, $4.29 million. So on this occasion what we have got, again, is the opposition coming along and complaining about something that we are doing when, in fact, they did it more. That is on that general point.

Another issue was raised, which I think is also important—that is, the support provided and the consultancy that was mentioned with respect to the sports carnival. I share your concern on that issue very deeply. From discussions with the department, I can assure you it will not be happening again. But do you know what? It has happened before. This is not the first sports carnival for staff of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. It is considered to be an important part of their team building, but I do not think it is something that should be subsidised by the department and I think $10,000 is way too much. Let us look back to 2007.

Photo of Christopher PyneChristopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This was a serious question about cuts to the last post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial and the relativities between their spending and their cuts. The coalition did not cut the last post at the Australian War Memorial.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The minister is responding to matters raised in the question. The minister has the call.

Photo of Alan GriffinAlan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

Although I do not want to detain the House any longer, I have more to respond to. I agree that $10,000 is too much. Actually, I think $20,000 would be way too much and, in fact, $30,000 would be pretty rich. If you go back to the 2007 sports carnival, which was when you were in government, the subsidisation effectively provided to that exercise was over $34,000.

I will go to the final point of the shadow minister’s question and the intervention of the member for Sturt—the last post. The circumstances with respect to the War Memorial are the same as they were under the previous government—that is, we provide a budget, there is an independent council of eminent Australians and they make decisions about what they do and how they do it with respect to the priorities of the memorial. I think that is a very important principle. I do not think that politicians should be telling them what they should be doing around a very important cultural institution.

Photo of Louise MarkusLouise Markus (Greenway, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The War Memorial has been cut. It has received a cut of $1.3 million under your government.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Greenway will resume her seat. If it were well done, people might wish to reflect whether I should take action against the member for Greenway for coming to the dispatch box and not raising a point of order. The minister is responding to the question.

Photo of Alan GriffinAlan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

And to the very point we are talking about here. I apologise to the House. Because I was so excited to get up and answer this question I did not get the right bit of paper with the specific details about what has happened with War Memorial funding over the last few years, but I can tell you that the effect of your efficiency dividend over the last few years is more than what has occurred with our efficiency dividend in the last two years.

Let us go back to the last post. It was a choice made by the memorial council, and I have to say it is a choice that I support because I support their right to make those decisions. Let us not forget that sponsorship is not a new thing at the memorial. There are a range of galleries and other activities—conferences et cetera—at the memorial that are also sponsored. As I and I am sure many others are aware, the eternal flame is also sponsored. The eternal flame has been sponsored since 1988. The last sponsorship of the eternal flame was established in 2005. Who was in government then? For those who have not been to the War Memorial—and, by the sound of it, there are quite a few of you—there is a plaque beside the eternal flame that makes that clear.

The ceremony will continue to be held in a dignified manner—of that there is no question. I have complete confidence in the War Memorial director and council to do that properly. The fact of the matter is that it is in line with what occurred under the previous government, of which many of you were in fact members.

Photo of Kevin RuddKevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on that important note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.