Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 31 August 2005] p4886b-4888a Mr ; Mr Mark McGowan; Speaker

MISS UNIVERSE PAGEANT 463. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN to the Minister for Tourism: I refer to the media reports about the Miss Universe Pageant. Is the state government considering providing funding to secure this event for Western , and is the minister aware of any alternative views on this matter? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for for his question and for his obvious interest in events. We are funding the Crabfest in the member’s electorate. Several members interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN: The government looks at each proposal on its merits. EventsCorp receives many proposals from a range of different interest groups, and we assess them on the basis of their economic and media impact in our core markets, both interstate and overseas. We have received a proposal from a Mr Jonathan Westbrook to provide a substantial amount of funding to the Donald Trump-owned Miss Universe Pageant. We have been asked to put in about $8 million up-front, and an additional $8 million in underwriting in case of any sponsorship shortfalls. When we analyse that amount of money, that is between 35 and 40 times what the state government contributes to the Hopman Cup each year. However, we will assess this proposal properly. We will look at it on the basis of what economic benefit it may provide for the state, even though there is very scant information with regard to some parts of it. The member asked me whether I am aware of any alternative views. Yes, I am. I am aware of the alternative view put by the member for Hillarys. The member for Hillarys’ view on events is that we do not analyse them, we do not do any due diligence, and we do not work out what the full cost will be; we just fund them. That is what the member for Hillarys is recorded as saying. A trend is developing in the opposition. We remember it well from the election campaign. The trend on the canal was just go and build it. The trend on this beauty pageant is just go and fund it. If the opposition is ever elected to government, we will have the office of canal development, the office of beauty pageant development and the office of whacky projects development. All these things will come into effect. Mr A.J. Carpenter: And the office of bestiality development. Mr M. McGOWAN: I will get onto that point in a moment. I thank the minister for that. Mr R.F. Johnson: You are the minister for sandcastles, are you not? You did not have an idea in your head! You had to pay a lot of money to get the idea about building sandcastles on the beach as an iconic event! I would go back to your previous job if I were you! The SPEAKER: Order! Mr M. McGOWAN: I will ask the member for Hillarys a question in a moment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr M. McGOWAN: I will quote what the member for Hillarys has said on this issue. He said in a media statement- The money the government must find . . . has to be assessed in light of positive media exposure of and WA in the lead up and 23 days of the pageant. Can the member tell us where the event was held last year? This is 23 days of positive media, at a cost of $16 million. Can the member for Hillarys tell us where it was held last year? Mr R.F. Johnson: As someone who is proposing to put sandcastles on the beach as a major iconic event, you should go back to the drawing board! I do not have to go out and pay a top firm with taxpayers’ money so that it can come up with ideas. You do not have one idea in your head! Mr M. McGOWAN: Can the member tell us where it was held this year? Mr R.F. Johnson: I am not going to enter into this debate, my friend. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members!

[1] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 31 August 2005] p4886b-4888a Mr David Templeman; Mr Mark McGowan; Speaker

Mr M. McGOWAN: I will inform the member for Hillarys so that he will know where this great beauty pageant was held this year. This year it was held in Bangkok. Last year it was held in Quito, Ecuador. The year before that it was held in Panama City. The year before that it was held in Puerto Rico. We are competing with Quito, Equador, for the benefit of this event for . However, it gets worse for the member for Hillarys, because, as the Minister for State Development has alluded to, he has made some rather unusual remarks about bestiality. Dogs and cats in Western Australia need to be very nervous when they are around the member for Hillarys, considering his views. The member for Hillarys said on Stateline on Friday night - I think it’s a bit narrow-minded to start saying that we shouldn’t be exploiting women. Mr R.F. Johnson: I didn’t say that at all. Don’t tell lies, my friend. Mr M. McGOWAN: He said - Look, it’s going to happen anyway, and if we’re going to have a pageant, let’s have it in Western Australia rather than some other country. Mr R.F. Johnson: You are telling lies now, my friend. You know that and I know that. Is that the best you can do - come in here and tell lies? Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Hillarys to order for the first time. I direct that he withdraw the comment and I call him to order for making that comment. Mr R.F. JOHNSON: I withdraw that comment. He knows what he is doing, Mr Speaker. Questions without Notice Resumed The SPEAKER: Question time is now dragging on. I urge the minister to finish his answer very quickly. Mr M. McGOWAN: Mr Speaker, I give you the Austin Powers of the Western Australian Parliament!

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