Minister under fire over Cannes trip
Linda Burney says she is representing Arts Minister Frank Sartor at the Cannes Film Festival on an important trip.
“We are very serious about growing the desirability of Sydney and New South Wales as being a destination for film-makers,” she said.
But Opposition fair trading spokeswoman Catherine Cusack says the Minister is acting outside of her portfolio.
Ms Cusack says now is a particularly bad time for Ms Burney to be out of the country because of the recent collapse of Beechwood Homes.
“When I got the news that Linda Burney had gone to Cannes in France, I was absolutely gobsmacked,” she said.
“I realised that Beechwood families had spent the weekend living in caravans, fearful for their future and Linda Burney spent the weekend packing her bags to go on a Government-funded junket to an international film festival.”
Ms Burney launched a new $60,000 jury prize for the Sydney Film Festival overnight at the festival.
The winner will be decided by an internationally-recognised jury and award-winning Australian director Gillian Armstrong will act as president.
The award will be open to local and international film-makers.
After the trip to Cannes, Ms Burney will go to New Zealand for a consumer affairs conference.
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Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 at 1:03 am under