SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FILM CORPORATION

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (15:56): My question is to the Minister for the Arts. Will the minister explain now why the 2010-11 annual report of the SA Film Corporation was six months late and why the biggest single grant for that year was paid to the ABC? Last week the minister in response to a question said that he would be meeting with Ms Cheryl Bart, the Chair of the SA Film Corporation, to ascertain why the report was so late. As well as being the Chair of the Film Corporation, Ms Bart is also on the board of the ABC. From the report tabled of the over $1.3 million paid to the ABC in the 2010-11 year, the biggest single grant of $1 million was paid to them.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (15:57): Madam Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: —one could not help but notice the implied slur, of course, in that question. I did—

Mr PISONI: Point of order, Madam Speaker: standing order 127. The minister is making personal reflections on the member for Bragg, and I ask for it to be withdrawn.

The SPEAKER: Sit down. When you ask a political question, you get a political answer. Members need to be very careful in the way they ask the questions and particularly in their explanations today; so, I am happy for that to go ahead. Minister, do you want to answer the question?

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Thank you. There are two parts of the question, and I did meet with the Chair and the Executive Director of the film centre earlier this week. As the member said, the report was late, and I talked to them about their need to have it provided on time in future. The period for which this report occurred was a particularly difficult time for the film centre because it was building new premises and moving locations, and I guess that is really the explanation for why it was late.

In relation to the issue about the grants to the ABC, I will get a complete answer for the member, but my recollection is that the ABC and the Film Corporation entered into a partnership agreement to make a series of films in South Australia which were done on a joint basis, and I assume that is what that refers to. As I say, I am happy to get a report.