MP sees red over Holi funding

Harish and Nikhil at this year's Holi festival. 135278 Picture: GARY SISSONS

WHAT’S being touted as “a real breach of trust” could be a simple case of bad timing.
Opposition Multicultural Affairs spokeswoman Inga Peulich has slammed the State Government for breaking an election commitment to fund the Holi festival at Keysborough’s Tatterson Reserve.
The Labor Party promised $30,000 each year from 2015 to 2018 to help fund the Australian Indian Innovations Inc (AIII) festival of colours.
Ms Peulich said no money came for this year’s event – “a real breach of trust” and “a worrying sign for future multicultural events”.
“Labor’s failure to deliver shows its tokenistic approach to multicultural communities,” she said.
But this year’s Holi Festival took place in March – before the May budget was announced.
A government spokesman said the Holi Festival had instead been offered $30,000 per year from 2016 to 2019.
“The Office of Multicultural Affairs has been liaising with the organisation about this funding,” they said.