The man behind Canberra's controversial Fringe Festival has won a formal right of reply after claiming to be "embarrassed, defamed and made fun of in public" during political debate about an Adolf Hitler-themed strip performance.
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A letter of reply by artistic director Jorian Gardner will be added to the record of Thursday's Legislative Assembly proceedings, addressing comments made during a February 25 no-confidence motion in Arts Minister Joy Burch over a performance at this year's National Multicultural Festival Fringe event.
It featured a female burlesque dancer dressed as Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, wearing gold wings, dancing to the song Gangnam Style.
Mr Gardner has used the reply to focus criticism on Liberal opposition members Jeremy Hanson, Giulia Jones and Brendan Smyth, arguing they subjected him to personal attack and criticism.
He rejects suggestions his appointment to the position was made without due-process and that he did not appropriately deal with public funds.
Mr Gardner is scathing of commentary from Mrs Jones, that his work was "base, unsophisticated and embarrassing".
"Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly should be made aware that their words about non-elected, ordinary members of the public, whether negative or positive, carry weight," the document said.
"Scoring political points at the expense of someone’s career and well-being was never the intended use of privilege and certainly doesn’t live up to the high standards that I, as a citizen of the Australian Capital Territory, expect from my elected representatives."
A former WIN News Canberra and 2CC radio employee, Mr Gardner said he had suffered personal and professional reputational damage from the attacks.
He will become only the sixth individual or group to receive a right of reply since the ACT was awarded self government.
"Mr Hanson, Mrs Jones and Mr Smyth clearly went too far in their comments about me on what in reality was a non-issue and I am glad that I have been able to make note of that on the public record," he said.
"I think this puts an end to any of the issues surrounding the Fringe Festival and my role, and exposes the extraordinary dirty depths the Liberal's will stoop to in order to try and get at a minister.
"There are way more important issues in this town our officials should be focussed on and it is sad that Mr Hanson has wasted so much of the taxpayers' time on having a go at me."
Issuing his own broadside against the Canberra Liberals, Mr Gardner called for Mr Hanson to step down as opposition leader.
He called for the Liberals to offer a new standard of leadership.
"[Leadership] that has a focus on keeping the government to account and making a better Canberra, not inciting hate debate and kicking the creative - and underpaid - members of our community."
Assembly members voted to accept the letter on Thursday after a recommendation by a cross-party committee headed by Speaker Vicki Dunne.
Under rules of the Assembly, individuals or corporations named in official proceedings can seek a written right of reply if they feel they have been adversely affected in reputation, respect, business dealings or had their privacy invaded.
Previous rights of reply have been extended to individuals and organisations, dating back to 1995.
