Generations in Jazz

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:29): I rise to speak about Generations in Jazz, which was held from 5to 7 May in Mount Gambier, and some words from Jeff Kennett, and I am going to read a fair bit from his speech:

You have got one of the most magnificent assets in the country. And most people don't know it exists. Well God damn me. Such a waste.

He drove from Melbourne to Mount Gambier on Friday afternoon and had the most extraordinary experience he had had in years. He hears a lot of criticism about some of our youth from time to time, but when he saw the 4,723 young people all joined together by their love of music and jazz, all with instruments playing, unlike a normal concert, they were all happy, they were all talking with each other and playing as bands. From Jeff Kennett:

I didn't see any wearing head phones and ear pieces and focusing on their iPhones or whatever it may be, so they were communicating [through music]. It was just a magnificently wholesome event and then of course the quality of the music, the quality of the guests that had been brought from around Australia and overseas it was just extraordinary. I just don't understand why an event that is so incredibly good and has been going for 30 years does not attract greater attention around Australia. It is a magnificent asset for Mount Gambier. If I had been Premier of Victoria I would have tried to pinch it for Victoria. But having said that I also recognise that it is well suited for Mount Gambier and one of the whole reasons that it is there…

is that the young people can focus on their music. It was so good that Jeff Kennett said:

It was so good that I rang up your Premier the next day and…suggested…that he and his government financially support the Generations in Jazz Festival every year. They have certainly helped establish the James Morrison Academy…

but they do not financially donate or support the festival itself. He continued:

This thing has grown over 30 years because of volunteerism. As I say, a magnificent asset for Mount Gambier but a bigger asset for South Australia. And nothing…at all that I saw–in the Adelaide Advertiser—what is the matter with you lot over there.

There was not a single article promoting this wonderful event, yet it is happy to focus on other events of a negative nature. Jeff Kennett continued:

The real value is the reputation it brings to Mount Gambier and to South Australia. And the South Australian government don't promote it. They don't use it, in the way I would have used it to promote it throughout Australia. This is an extraordinary event. I mean there are others in the world that are similar, invariably smaller [but] there is probably no [other] event in the world with so many [young people] actually attend and play [music]. James Morrison himself went to the first holding of the Generations in Jazz 30 years ago and I think he has only missed one since. So here you have a world player who gives his time to encourage [young people] to advance their musical skills and I have always thought that music is the greatest communicator in the world. I just don't understand how you can have such an extraordinary asset in your community and outside of Mount Gambier the world is silent.

No one in government or positions in authority do any more than perhaps attend as opposed to become promoters of it. I mean, I don't want to go back to last century when I was in office here, but I was an advocate for good things, I was an advocate for grand prixs, art, music [so on and so on] but it was at the top of government. It was not down the line, but there is no excitement, there is no buzz in supporting…this festival outside Mount Gambier. I am certainly and I have said to James Morrison and I have said to the organisers of the event that I will do anything I can to build up to next year's to see if we can get better coverage. I don't think that is difficult. I think for instance the Premier ought to invite the senior Art journalist from every major paper in Australia to the [event] as his guests. I think he has to make sure that he gets the event televised.

Can you imagine the concert on Saturday night was one of the most electric I have seen anywhere in the world. In an audience made up of 4,500 young people plus another 1,500 so the marquee was full. That is vibrant television, that is exciting television. But outside of those who are involved in it where are the champions of music, where are the champions of Mount Gambier—

apart from the local member—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: And me.

Mr BELL: —and the member for Florey, of course—

where are the champions of South Australia. I tell you what if it had been in Victoria, this Festival would be among the top four of five activities artistic or sport that we held.

The town is alive. The event is supported by so many volunteers. It has been going for 30 years [and yet] I had never heard of it until they talked to me about it last year. I'm not totally deaf and blind to what is happening in Australia. But most people outside of Mount Gambier would not know it is on.

I go to my original statement: what a goddamn shame. What a waste.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You can ask a question on major events status tomorrow.