COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SPEECH BY
The Rt Hon. J. G. GORTON, M. P.
ON
AIJSTRAHIAN FILM DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION BILL 1970
Second Reading
[ From the ' Parliamentary Debates,' 5 March 1970.]
Mr GORTON ( Higgins-Prime Minister)
[ 8.00]-1 move:
That the Bil be now read a second time.
This Bill will fulfil the Government's undertaking
to assist the Australian film industry.
It provides for the establishment of an
Australian Film Development Corporation
which will administer a fund with
an initial capital of Sim, The Corporation
will make loans to film
and television producers. It will be able to
guarantee repayment of loans, including
bank overdrafts, made to producers of Australian
films. It will be able to join with
producers of Australian films under
arrangements which will entitle it to receive
a share of the proceeds without being
liable for any debts which may be incurred.
It may also, subject to ministerial approval,
participate in the formation of a company
for the distribution of Australian films. The
Corporation will seek to encourage the production
and distribution of Australian films
of high quality. I should perhaps say, Mr
Speaker, that when I refer to films of high
quality I do not confine my meaning to
films of technical excellence or those with
an artistic content which could win a
12972/ 70 festival award, but be commercially unsuccessful.
The Corporation will seek to encourage
the production of films which are
box office successes and which have those
excellences of production, camera work and
technical presentation which justify the
description ' high quality'.
The fund is intended for investment in
films: It is not intended as a giveaway project.
It indicates our optimism that such
investment will be successful in all ways but
it is not intended as a vehicle for underwriting
the full cost of a film or films. Producers
of films will still be expected to
have a substantial equity in a film and to
show faith in their artistic and commercial
judgment, and I hope that distributors will
also be prepared to invest, at their judgment,
in such enterprises. We believe that
after a period of time properly made investments
will be returning profits to the Corporation
and there will then be no need for
the Government to replenish the fund each
year. That is our objective and the measure
of the scheme's success will be judged
partly on this.
So we expect profits in money terms but
at least as importantly we expect profit in
human values. A flourishing film industry
in Australia will employ talented Australian
writers, artists, directors, actors, musicians
and technicians. Many of them have all too
often had to leave this country to pursue
their chosen careers. Their talents have
added distinction to the productions of
other countries. But I know many of them
wish to return again home. We hope that
they will be able to do so as a result of
the action here suggested. Further, film and
television distributed throughout the world
is perhaps the most effective means by
which the image of a country can be projected
abroad-the most effective means by
which the ideas and way of life of a nation
can become known throughout the world.
We hope this Bill will help Australia in this
way. It is now apparent that Australian interest
and support is beginning to be available
for local productions and it is my Government's
hope that money provided by the
Corporation will act as a catalyst to
encourage private capital to invest in Australian
productions. In other countries considerable
investment in film production is
forthcoming from banking and other
financial institutions. Let us hope and urge
that this support, along with that suppor-t
from distributors and exhibitors which I
have mentioned, will be forthcoming here.
The corporation will consist of a chairman
and four other members-each appointed for periods not exceeding 5 years
but eligible for reappointment. Members
will be appointed from amongst persons of
standing and varied experience but without
pecuniary interests in the business' of making,
distributing or exhibiting films, or in a
corporation carrying on such a business.
The Corporation will be required to report
annually to the Minister with appropriate
financial statements. The Minister will be
required to lay the report and financial
statements, together with the report of the
Auditor-General, before each House of the
Parliament. It gives me great personal pleasure to
introduce this Bill. It expresses the Government's
belief that we should devote ourselves
not only to building great new
factories and smelters, not only to wresting
produce and minerals from the earth of
Australia, not only to material standards,
but also to involvement in and encouragement
and development of the Arts. The
human values we will thereby nurture, the
satisfaction we will offer to individual
development, the improvement of the
quality of life are essential for any nation
if it is to merit the description ' great'.
I believe this Bill will help us to attain
these aims and I commend it to the House.
Debate ( on motion by Mr Hayden)
adjourned.
Printed for the Government of the Commonwealth by W. G. MURRAy at the
Grovernment Printing Office, Canberra