❓ Mrs Roberts questions the Minister for Culture and the Arts regarding funding cuts and biennial scheduling of the Premier's Book Awards. The Minister defends the decision citing financial constraints and administrative efficiency.
AnsweredQoN 49Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PREMIER'S
BOOK AWARDS — BIENNIAL
49. Mrs M.H.
ROBERTS to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I refer to the minister's decision, announced just
before the start of the Perth Writers Festival, to halve funding for the
Premier's Book Awards and to hold these awards every two years.
(1) Why has the
minister cut funding to the Premier's Book Awards, which cost taxpayers
a paltry $65 000 a year?
(2) Does he agree
with the Premier that having these awards every second year makes it easier for
the judges to read the books?
BOOK AWARDS — BIENNIAL
49. Mrs M.H.
ROBERTS to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I refer to the minister's decision, announced just
before the start of the Perth Writers Festival, to halve funding for the
Premier's Book Awards and to hold these awards every two years.
(1) Why has the
minister cut funding to the Premier's Book Awards, which cost taxpayers
a paltry $65 000 a year?
(2) Does he agree
with the Premier that having these awards every second year makes it easier for
the judges to read the books?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) A
decision has been made by the State Library of Western Australia in
consultation with me, as the minister, and the Premier, given that the book
awards are presented by the Premier. This Premier, to his credit, has turned up
every second year. Before we came to government, I think it was years before
the Premier of the state attended the book awards presentation, but I digress.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany!
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr J.H.D. DAY :
That is what I was told.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time. Minister, I
want you to now address the Chair and answer the question.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : In
relation to the —
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan!
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the second time. Let us get this
answer out and we can move on.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : In
relation to the timing of the announcement, I understand that the Perth Writers
Festival is on at the moment, but a decision and an announcement had to be made
because the call for nominations for the awards would normally be made at this
time of the year. That is why the decision has been announced at this time.
The total cost of the awards is in fact more than the member
indicated. The total cost, including the administration of the awards, all the
logistics involved and so on, is about $320 000 a year, with $130 000 a year in
prize money. It also should be noted that the state government, on behalf of
taxpayers, provides other substantial support to the writing sector in Western
Australia, with more than $900 000 being made available this financial year
through support being provided to a range of organisations, including Writing
WA, Fremantle Press, Magabala Books, the Fellowship of Australian Writers WA,
the Children's Book Council of Australia, the Literature Centre and the
Katharine Susannah Prichard Foundation, as well as grants being made to
individual authors in some cases. We are continuing to provide substantial
support to the writing sector. Clearly, having the awards every two years means
that they will be easier for the State Library to administer. In a perfect
world, if financial issues —
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the first time. Can you wind this
up please, minister?
Mr J.H.D. DAY :
Clearly, the awards will be easier and more straightforward for the library to
administer every two years. Western Australia is not the only state that does
it every two years. In a perfect world, if financial issues were not a factor,
perhaps the awards would be continued every year, but the state faces
significant financial issues at the moment, which the opposition has been
talking about endlessly. I think the awards will still be very valued. They
will probably be even more valued because they will be held on a biennial
basis. They will still be very important in the literary sector in Western
Australia.
decision has been made by the State Library of Western Australia in
consultation with me, as the minister, and the Premier, given that the book
awards are presented by the Premier. This Premier, to his credit, has turned up
every second year. Before we came to government, I think it was years before
the Premier of the state attended the book awards presentation, but I digress.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany!
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr J.H.D. DAY :
That is what I was told.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time. Minister, I
want you to now address the Chair and answer the question.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : In
relation to the —
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan!
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the second time. Let us get this
answer out and we can move on.
Mr J.H.D. DAY : In
relation to the timing of the announcement, I understand that the Perth Writers
Festival is on at the moment, but a decision and an announcement had to be made
because the call for nominations for the awards would normally be made at this
time of the year. That is why the decision has been announced at this time.
The total cost of the awards is in fact more than the member
indicated. The total cost, including the administration of the awards, all the
logistics involved and so on, is about $320 000 a year, with $130 000 a year in
prize money. It also should be noted that the state government, on behalf of
taxpayers, provides other substantial support to the writing sector in Western
Australia, with more than $900 000 being made available this financial year
through support being provided to a range of organisations, including Writing
WA, Fremantle Press, Magabala Books, the Fellowship of Australian Writers WA,
the Children's Book Council of Australia, the Literature Centre and the
Katharine Susannah Prichard Foundation, as well as grants being made to
individual authors in some cases. We are continuing to provide substantial
support to the writing sector. Clearly, having the awards every two years means
that they will be easier for the State Library to administer. In a perfect
world, if financial issues —
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the first time. Can you wind this
up please, minister?
Mr J.H.D. DAY :
Clearly, the awards will be easier and more straightforward for the library to
administer every two years. Western Australia is not the only state that does
it every two years. In a perfect world, if financial issues were not a factor,
perhaps the awards would be continued every year, but the state faces
significant financial issues at the moment, which the opposition has been
talking about endlessly. I think the awards will still be very valued. They
will probably be even more valued because they will be held on a biennial
basis. They will still be very important in the literary sector in Western
Australia.
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