Matt Viney’s petition speech


This is the page for the ‘Funniest Speech Ever’—or it would be if it wasn't so tragic.

On April 14, after Greens MLC Sue Pennicuik delivered a 30 minute speech supporting the FairGo4LiveMusic petition she had presented to Parliament, the ALP's Matt Viney joined in the “debate”. Viney is the State Member for Eastern Victoria Region in the Legislative Council, and he is based in Warragul.

Viney began by saying he had not needed to listen to a 30 minute speech from Ms Pennicuik supporting music, and that the Government is proudly supporting live music in Victoria.

Then he made the point that it is nonsense to suggest that there are no problems at live music venues… we heard that when he was growing up in Clayton (which was around FORTY years ago) it simply wasn’t safe to go to a particular venue in Springvale!

And he went to see Spectrum playing FORTY years ago and saw people handing around a big cigarette! Not only that, more recently when he returned to his car at 1.30am after seeing his son's band play, it had been broken into and everything was stolen!

Now THAT's all evidence live music needs security guards. In the afternoon.

Then he talked at length about the programs the State Government fund, such as the Victoria Rocks program, the Music for the Future program and FReeZA.

They don't get it
What Viney and the rest of the Government don't get is that musicians need a PLACE TO PLAY, and no amount of funding to record albums and do those school concert types of performances will give them that. Grants for touring aren't much use if the venues can't host music.

And musicians of ALL AGES need to do gigs, not just the "young people" and "emerging young bands" Viney was banging on about endlessly. When they've emerged, what do they do next?

If anything, at this stage it has been mainly older musicians who have been affected by the Government's crackdown on venues, apart from the high-profile Tote, as far as I can see. You know, bread winners, and people who have to pay their own rent.

Does Matt Viney even know that older musicians (oh, say, over 30) exist?

We are talking about a CULTURE here—Viney is obviously oblivious to this culture, and has no intention of educating himself about it. He could choose to start educating himself by reading this article by Martin Cooper about a music afternoon at the Lomond Hotel, a place which the Labor Government threatened: Labor's HOT Seats can save Live Music's Universities

Or this article: Pubs Give ‘Live’ Line to Local Bands.

Viney also brought up the Live Music Accord, saying the government listened to the music industry's concerns about the "unintended consequences" of security conditions.

Yeah—they listened briefly, perhaps, but apparently misunderstood… the trigger for requiring expensive security guards and CCTV is still music (or "entertainment"), for 700-odd venues, which Sue Pennicuik so eloquently explained is wrong.

The speech
When Viney's speech comes out in the official Hansard I'll put it here, but meanwhile you can find the proof version towards the middle of this page.