PRIME MINISTER
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING, MP
LAUNCH OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN' S TV FOUNDATION " LIFT-OFF"
PARLIAMENT HOUSE WEDNESDAY, 29 APRIL 1992
1 am delighted to be asked to launch what is a marvellous
venture in every regard.
Lift-Off is the product of a great initiative: from the
Australian Children's Television Foundation under the inspired
leadership of Patricia Edgar..
Patricia Edgar has made an unequaled contribution to
children's television and children'q education in this country
and I take this opportunity to congratulate and thank her.
In all she has done, of course, she has also made a great
contribution to Australia.
There are many others I should mention.
The late Robert Holmes a Court made a vital initial
investment. Janet Holmes a Court has played a major role. So
has Don Edgar odf the National Outreach Committee.
Yet, in a sense, it would be wrong to stress the contribution
of any individuals for the outstanding feature of this
enterprise is its cooperative nature.
The ABC, the Film Finance Corporation, Penguin Books, Octopus
Publishing, Text Media; various education Ministries and other
educational bodies; teachers from right across the curriculum
and curricula des'. gners, experts in children's education and
child psychology; writers, directors and technicians; actors,
musicians, mimics, puppet-makers and puppeteers.
There is an exLraordinary boldness and breadth to the
conception, and plainly great skill in the execution.
if the children who watch Lift-Off, and read the Lift-Off
spin-offCs, develop the same skills of communication,
cooperation and execution as producers have displayed, we will
really be able to say that this country is pretty clever.
Among other things, the project suggests to me what we are
collecLively capable of I think, almost as much as the
program itself, we are celebrating that today.
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Lift-off also suggests what television is capable of which
is to say much more than we and our children are generally
given. I think most of us feel that, despite some illustrious
exceptions, television has never really lived up to its great
promise as a medium of human growth and enlightenment.
Our children, particularly, deserve much more than they are
given in the way of intellectual stimulation.
So, quite frankly, do we adults both as consumers of adult
entertainment, and as parents.
Parents in the contemporary environment need whatever help
they can get with the task of parenting.'
This is an extraordinarily complex, largely artificial,
rapidly changing world.
The information we anO our children are required to absorb is
infinitely greater, more complex, and, In many senses, more
elusive and ephemeral than it was a generation ago or half a
generation 890.
The need for new channels of learning, over and above parents
and schools, seems to me to be greater than it has ever been
before. The need to develop the capacities for learning and creativity
and the ability to enjoy them has never been greater.
Television is one obvious answer. But it has been for forty
years. The truth is, television, which first presented itself as such
a marvellous new learning medium, has always been an
infuriating mixture of cause and cure.
Lift-Off is most definitely in the Category of cure.
I am also excited by it for this reason: it is a two way
window on the world.
it means that we will go to the world as well as having the
world come to us.
We are good at these sorts of things.
Perhaps not enough Australians know it but we are good at
education. We export it.
We are good at making films and television; good at
entertainment; good at the arts. We export all those things
too. P 114 N 0 U U 0 UZ
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We are also good at looking after those who need looking
after. Not perfect by a long shot, but better than most.
No Australians are more deserving of our attention meaning
the investment of money, energy and expertise than our
children. That is why Lift-Off is a truly great Australian venture. I
congratulate all those who have been associated with it, and
on behalf of all Australians, wish themi all the success the
project deserves.
Thank you.