LEON DELANEY:
The city of Canberra and the nation of Australia have lost one of its greatest citizens with the passing of Terry Snow at the age of 80. Joining me now, the federal member for Fenner and the Assistant Minister for Charities, not‑for‑profits and various other things – Dr Andrew Leigh, good afternoon.
ANDREW LEIGH:
Good afternoon, Leon. Great to be with you.
DELANEY:
Terry Snow has left an enormous legacy. It’s almost – it’s almost an understatement to say that, isn’t it?
LEIGH:
What a big life – 80 years. A Canberra son – his grandparents had the first general store in the city, and then taking over the airport lease in the late 1990s, all that he did with that airport development. And then, of course, the Snow Foundation, which has been a benefactor to so many terrific Canberra charities dealing with social disadvantage, homelessness, family violence and the like.
DELANEY:
He was a man that quite literally changed the face of the city through his property developments, wasn’t he? Not just singular property developments, but large‑scale developments.
LEIGH:
Absolutely. You think about Denman Prospect, Constitution Place, a huge number of property developments. And throughout it all was just a wonderful Canberra booster, somebody who was enormously proud to be in the city and also proud to stand up for causes that weren’t always supported by 100 per cent of the population. Think about the moment around marriage equality where the Canberra Airport was lit up in rainbow colours, making very clear where the Snow family stood on that issue.
DELANEY:
He said in a recent interview that it was not about the money, it was never about the money, it was about being passionate about making a contribution to the community and to helping people. It’s a fantastic example for others in the community, isn’t it?
LEIGH:
It is indeed. And as the Assistant Minister for Charities I’m always keen to see passionate philanthropists, and I think there’s many of other Australian high‑net‑worth individuals that could learn from the example of the Snow family. And also not just Terry’s philanthropy himself, but the way in which he brought his family more broadly into it. There’s international engagement – the Snow Centre for Education in the Asian Century, the Terry Snow Scholarship for Global Studies. Very much thinking about the pride in Canberra, but also the way in which we engage with the nation and the world.
DELANEY:
Indeed. And of course, the Snow Foundation has had a very big impact, not just on the ACT community, but the Australian community, hasn’t it?
LEIGH:
It really has. It’s an example for other philanthropists, but it’s also had an impact across the country. Canberra, as the nation’s capital, punches well above our weight in terms of these national institutions and big debates. If you help to change the artistic character of Canberra, if you show how we can be a fast-growing, innovative, socially inclusive city, then that provides an example that the rest of the country can learn from.
DELANEY:
Well, he’s left a concert hall, just as one of many things that he’s left us in his name. But I think some of the more significant beneficiaries have been medical research, for example.
LEIGH:
That’s right. So, he was certainly supporting causes right across the spectrum. And those were things about which he was enormously passionate. As passionate as he was about his dogs and his airport and the impact that he had on our city.
DELANEY:
Indeed. And a terrific family man as well. Terry Snow has left at the age of 80, but he certainly left behind an enormous legacy. As I said before, it’s almost an understatement to say that. That’s how big the impact has been of this one man has been on the city and on the nation.
Now, also today you’ve announced the appointment of a new Deputy Chair and member of the Australian Charities and Not‑for‑profits Commission Advisory Board. What’s that about?
LEIGH:
Well, the charities commission is our national charities regulator and the Advisory Board provides it with appropriate support. But it’s also a way of making sure that the views of charities across the country are represented around the decision‑making table. Sara Harrup is stepping up today to be the Deputy Chair, and we’ve got a new member, Nick Maisey, joining the board. Nick’s a great young Western Australian who set up a charity called Befriend, a not‑for‑profit which is about helping people find friends. There’s plenty of dating apps out there, but there’s not many ways of people who are just a bit lonely from finding some mates. And Nick’s innovation through Befriend, I think, marks him out as one of Australia’s great innovative young social entrepreneurs and somebody whose voice will be welcomed on that board.
DELANEY:
Indeed. And speaking of competition, I note that your colleague, the Minister for Transport, Catherine King, has announced today some reform to the allocation of landing slots at Sydney Airport. Now, that directly affects us here in Canberra because of all of the controversy that’s arisen about those landing slots, particularly for flights between Canberra and Sydney. Just briefly, what is it that your colleague is announcing today?
LEIGH:
Well, this is a competitive tender, so it’s asking for prospective slot managers to show how they can deliver on the government’s reforms. Catherine King brought down the Harris Review last year, recommending some changes to the slot management system. Obviously, Sydney is our busiest airport and it’s constrained by curfews, so working out who gets those slots is really crucial. And that flows through to competition within the aviation sector, because if carriers are able to fly into Sydney, they’re more likely to want to fly into Australia.
DELANEY:
This has been topical lately, though, because of the demise of Bonza and the very shaky position currently of Rex and the role that slot allocation might have played in the fortunes of those companies. Now, I’ve read this week or last week that apparently the entity that allocates slots at Sydney airport is actually controlled by Qantas and Virgin. Now, that sounds like an abuse of market power, doesn’t it?
LEIGH:
Well, there’s no suggestion that that organisation was working at the behest of Qantas and Virgin, but the ownership structure certainly led people to raise an eyebrow or 2. And as you say, Leon, the fact that Bonza couldn’t get slots to fly into Sydney was a factor that troubled many people. One of the things that the slot allocation process is changing is it’s shifting the definition of ‘new entrant’ to make it easier for new airlines to get slots. So, that gives us more competition in the aviation market.
DELANEY:
And hopefully more competition will deliver better outcomes. But so far, the competitive nature of the industry seems to have had a long list of hopefuls that have ended up, if you pardon the expression, crashing and burning, doesn’t it?
LEIGH:
It has certainly been challenging for new entrants to make it into the market. They’ve succeeded in the regional market, but they haven’t been as lucky flying the metro routes. It is an ongoing challenge in Australia and one that I know Catherine King is firmly focused on.
DELANEY:
Indeed, Andrew. Thanks very much for your time today.
LEIGH:
Pleasure, Leon. Thank you.
DELANEY:
Thank you so much. Dr Andrew Leigh, the Federal Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Assistant Minister for Employment, and of course, our local member here in the seat of Fenner.