Senator Kate Lundy, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Tourism and Assistant to the Shadow Minister for the Arts, attacked the government in Senate Question Time today. (See question below)
This followed the announcement of the resignation of the Federal Government’s music industry export adviser, Phil Tripp, and his statements with respect to the Government’s position on parallel importing.
Question to Senator Hill representing the Minister for Trade.:
Do you acknowledge that the government’s music industry adviser, Mr Phil Tripp, has done an excellent job in helping lift music industry exports from $5 million in 1985 to $220 million in 1996?
Can you confirm that the same Mr Tripp has resigned today because, in his words, the Government is, “disembowelling the music industry by its misinformed and vengeful implementation of parallel importing of CDs in a crazy attempt to con the public into believing CDs will be cheaper and more plentiful?
Will you now concede that your Government’s policy of parallel importing
will not deliver cheaper CDs to the Australian public;
will turn the Australian music industry into an expatriate music industry, rather than an export industry; and
will deny new, local Australian talent the opportunity to receive exposure and promotion, both here in Australia and overseas?
Supplementary question:
Is it true that Mr Tripp also said, “under (Prime Minister) John Howard and (Arts) Minister Richard Alston’s plan for parallel importing of CDs, I’d advise artists and companies to move off-shore rather than be destroyed here in the future”.
Do you agree with Mr Tripp that Australian will end up with an expatriate music industry like New Zealand rather than an export industry? If not, why not?
For more information contact Kate Lundy on (02) 6277 3334
