Talking Point: Dark Mofo debate exposes intolerance and need for debate

GREG BARNS: The commitment to liberal values appears wafer-thin.

THE mark of a truly liberal society is one in which debate can be had without hysteria. Sadly Tasmania is not such a place if the reaction to recent comments about Dark Mofo and tourism by Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie are a guide.

In fact the only person who emerged from this depressing furore with a reputation enhanced was Leigh Carmichael, who is the creative director of Dark Mofo.

Alderman Christie’s remarks about “mass tourism” and his expression of some disquiet from a small group of people about aspects of the Dark Mofo may have been hyperbolic in part, but he made some valid points, as the letters pages of this newspaper over the past week have reflected. For the record this columnist thinks Ald Christie was right to question the tourism obsession of policy makers but wrong to expect Dark Mofo to be a boring, dull, conservative family day out.

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In fact the overblown response by some to the inverted crosses, a feature of this year’s event, proved the point that religion focuses on symbols rather than on the suffering of humanity.

Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Ald Christie was entitled to put these views as an elected representative but also because the Hobart City Council has skin in the Dark Mofo game — it contributes a sizeable sum to the festival’s bottom line. Let’s deal with that last point now.

The difficulty for arts festivals that have a mandate to shock or confront, in accepting government funds is that politicians have a tendency to think they can express views about the art and even seek to censor it. Dark Mofo would be much better off weaning itself off the government teat as soon as possible.

But now back to Ald Christie, the mayor one would have thought had declared the earth to be flat and announced that he was a sun god, given the overwrought response to his commentary.

The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an industry group and chief cheerleader for the Hodgman government, thinks the Mayor should resign his position for daring to refuse to worship at the shrine of Dark Mofo, and for questioning the obsession Tasmania has with turning itself into a theme park for tourists.

Some of Ald Christie’s self-serving colleagues called for his resignation as well.

Ald Christie also received abusive and threatening messages online.

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Ironically it was the architect of Dark Mofo, Leigh Carmichael who supported Ald Christie’s right to freedom of speech. Mr Carmichael refused to endorse the shrieking by the TCCI and others, and he pointedly did not attack Ald Christie personally.

Instead Mr Carmichael calmly argued his point about the role of Dark Mofo and his view of its contribution to the Tasmanian community and economy. It was dignified, civilised and above all intelligent.

Mr Carmichael has a fine track record of tolerating alternative views.

While this columnist has criticised Mona and its offshoots for accepting government funding, this has not stopped Mr Carmichael extending an invitation to speak at an event on freedom of speech organised by Dark Mofo a few years ago.

Dark Mofo creative director Leigh Carmichael.

Tasmania purports to be a democracy and committed to liberal values such as freedom of speech.

But it appears such a commitment is wafer thin. The reaction to Ald Christie’s remarks show that when it comes to certain issues there is a disturbing group think and the contrarian view and its messenger are crushed.

POOR PLANNING, NOT MASS TOURISM, CAN DESTROY CITIES

Tourism has become an article of faith in Tasmania. The Hodgman government, intellectually vacuous and bereft of any vision, sees tourism as a nirvana. It fails to recognise that the obsession with tourism today means a society tomorrow in which there are too many in seasonal low-income jobs, and where large parts of the state become loved to death by hordes of international and interstate visitors. The latter point is no exaggeration — look at New Zealand.

Dark Mofo’s inverted crosses on the Hobart waterfront.

An economy like Tasmania needs to be diverse and certainly not over-reliant on tourism which, besides doing little to prepare young Tasmanians for 21st century skills, is fickle and depends on the Australian dollar and the fickle choices of the bourgeoisie.

If Ron Christie’s comments generate a rethink about the drive to build more and more hotels and “develop” wilderness areas then this is a good thing.

But above all, let us learn from the reaction to Ald Christie and reflect on how intolerant we are about contrarian views. Reflect on the mindless and thuggish tendencies of groups like the TCCI and self-interested political rivals.

Ron Christie was the accidental mayor before Dark Mofo. But he should be seen now in a different light. His views on culture might not be particularly original, and his articulation of a position about the downside of the tourism fetish clumsy, but he gets points for standing his ground.

As for Mr Carmichael he is undoubtedly a liberal in name and in gesture and stands tall for his commitment to tolerance.

Barrister Greg Barns is a Hobart-based human rights lawyer who has advised state and federal Liberal governments.