ACTING CHAIR (Senator Eggleston) --I would like to open this meeting of the Senate Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts Legislation Committee considering additional estimates in respect of the year ending 30 June 1998. The committee has before it the following documents for consideration: document A, particulars of proposed expenditure for the service of the year ending 30 June 1998; document C, particulars of certain proposed expenditure for the service of the year ending 30 June 1998 C; and a final budget outcome for 1996-1997. Reference may also be made to annual reports for the 1996-1997 year that have been received.

Following the hearings, the committee will prepare its report for the Senate to be tabled on 26 November 1997. Unless otherwise stated, responses to questions placed on notice at the hearing today and tomorrow can be sent to the committee's secretariat until the close of business on Friday, 30 January 1998.

I remind colleagues that the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee is continuing its inquiry into the format of the portfolio budget statements and the portfolio additional estimates statements. As we go through the documents you may wish to put on the record in Hansard any comments about the format or contents of these documents.

The committee will begin with the communications, the information economy and the arts portfolio. This will continue until approximately 5.15 p.m., when the committee will move to consideration of the environment portfolio. Subprograms 4.3 and 4.4 of communications will be completed on Friday morning. We will work through the programs in numerical order.

I welcome the minister, Senator the Hon. Richard Alston, and officers from the communications, the information economy and the arts portfolio. Departmental officers will not be asked to comment on the reasons for certain policy decisions or the advice they may have tendered in the formulation of policy or to express a personal opinion on matters of policy. Minister, I now invite you to make an opening statement to the committee, and at the conclusion of your remarks we will ask questions.

Senator Alston --No, thank you, Mr Chairman.

ACTING CHAIR --There is no opening statement from the minister, so we will move on to comments from members of the committee before proceeding to programs.

Senator SCHACHT --Mr Chairman, I just want to make a suggestion to expedite the first section, looking at the tightness of our time schedule. The first section listed on the agenda is 9.00 to 9.30, general questions for the whole of the portfolio. As Mr Stevens very loyally sits at the desk through all sections of this hearing all today and tomorrow, I think it is only appropriate that when we are asking agencies when the questions flow over to the department we will take it that way. I think that has worked well in the past. All I can say is that from time to time there might be a more general question than something directly relating to a specific point in something, say, to do with the Australia Council that will flow back to you and the department. I think it is a way of expediting time. We might actually make up a little bit of time rather than sitting here for a general discussion for half an hour.

There is one, Mr Stevens, in the arts and heritage area. As head of the department, I know you are very busy with communications and a whole range of secretarial duties, but how often do you get an opportunity to accept invitations to attend--as the minister does, quite rightly--arts functions: the opera, the ballet, symphony orchestras, art gallery openings and so on? Do you get an opportunity--

Senator Alston --His cultural inclinations leave a lot to be desired.

Senator SCHACHT --You have actually bowled him right over already, Minister. I was giving him a chance to defend himself.

Mr Stevens --Where I can in Canberra, I certainly attend a number of functions: the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, the various functions at the theatre here. Interstate, I tend not to, depending upon other circumstances.

Senator SCHACHT --Do you get, as head of the department, lots of invitations? Unfortunately, I suppose, in one sense, Canberra does not get many of the major arts bodies performing here--they are mainly in Sydney, Melbourne and the other capital cities, and there are, of course, state based operas and art galleries. Do you get many invitations to go to them, even though it is difficult for you to attend?

Mr Stevens --It is a question of what you mean by many. On a number of occasions, if I can, I will. It is very hard to know how many `many' is. I certainly have a standing invitation to go to the ballet and the opera if I am interstate. Particular occasions, like the opening of various art gallery exhibitions, I will try to attend if I can, and I have on some occasions done that.

Senator SCHACHT --In other states.

Mr Stevens --In other states, yes.

Senator SCHACHT --I am not trying to say you are profligate with the department's money in attending. I actually think that it is very reasonable that you should attend, even though the minister is rather disparaging about your cultural inclinations.

Mr Stevens --I could put on record that I do actually like going to these things whenever I can.

Senator SCHACHT --That is a major concession, Neville. I have never heard you say that before, actually. When I have called you the cultural tsar about what you thought of a recent performance of Wagner at one of the operas, you looked rather dismissive at the idea. Thank you. That is all I wanted to ask.

Senator Alston --There is no point in having an in-depth discussion.

ACTING CHAIR --If that is all the general questions there are, we might move on to program 1.

[9.20 a.m.]