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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-05-29 Daily Xml
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Christmas Pageant

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:35): My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Given that the credit unions have pulled out of sponsoring the Christmas Pageant, will the minister advise what meetings the ministers have had, who with and when to resolve this matter?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:35): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in the Christmas Pageant. As members would be aware, the credit unions announced a week, 10 days or a fortnight ago that they will no longer be sponsoring the event after this year, so we are looking for a new sponsor. I have had a number of meetings of a confidential nature that I am not able to share with the chamber today, but I am very confident that a new event sponsor is in negotiations with the SATC around the event.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: It's not the Northern Territory government, no. As members would be aware, I made very clear that our great iconic Christmas Pageant was not for sale to another state government. We didn't want camels and double-plugger thongs. If the Hon. Mr Hanson wants to stick a camel down his chimney at Christmas, he can. Most people probably would still settle for the traditional Father Christmas and some reindeers, but if he wants to use camels he can do whatever he likes in his house. It is entirely up to him what he does in his house. We probably shouldn't even reflect on what might happen in his house in this chamber.

I assure members opposite that I am very confident that a new sponsor is already in negotiations with the SATC. We don't let the grass grow under our feet—we act. I am very confident that at some point in the future—it is a commercial arrangement around the amount of money, the number of years, the advertising, the campaign that goes with it, so they are really all commercial negotiations with a potential sponsor, but I am very confident that at some time in the near future I will be able to announce a successful sponsor of the 2019 Christmas Pageant.

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