ONE of Australia's wealthiest women, WA businesswoman Janet Holmes a Court, has championed Tasmania's arts sector as a potential saviour of the local economy.
Ms Holmes a Court, who is in the state to lend support to the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, also has emerged as an unlikely ally against the fight by other WA heavyweights to strip Tasmania of part of its GST share.
The respected corporate leader, known for both her business acumen and generosity, said MONA was a "classic example" of how the arts and tourism sector could lift the state out of the doldrums.
"This is my fifth trip to Hobart to go to MONA and every time I come I meet people from Sydney, Melbourne or Perth or Queensland," she said yesterday.
"They stay a couple of days, put some money in the economy and they come back, and I think something as visionary as MONA is a perfect example of what can happen if someone with imagination puts their money into something as creative as that venture.
"I don't know what it's actually done for the Tasmanian economy in terms of dollars but it must be huge," Ms Holmes a Court said.
The praise for MONA and Tasmania's natural beauty and heritage was in stark contrast to the opinions of fellow WA businesswoman Gina Rinehart, who recently lashed out at the island state's apparent anti-development attitudes.
Ms Holmes a Court defended Tasmania's share of GST revenue.
"We are all Australians and we're a federation and we need to work together to make sure that all Australians have the opportunity of a decent life, and if that means giving Tasmania a little bit more of the GST then so be it," she said.
While Ms Rinehart criticised Tasmania's dependence on mining in other states, Ms Holmes a Court bemoaned the impact of the mining boom on her home town.
"I've always thought Hobart was a very lucky town not to have had a mining boom because you still have the bulk of the early beautiful buildings, where in a place like Perth where we had a mining boom, most of the beautiful buildings have gone," she said.
The renowned philanthropist, who chairs the WA Symphony Orchestra, yesterday addressed more than 100 people at a TSO lunch aimed at securing more donations and sponsorship.
While Ms Holmes a Court encouraged local businesses and individuals to invest in the orchestra, she also described philanthropy as "a double edged sword".
"Philanthropy does let governments off the hook a bit," she said.
"In an ideal world you would have a sort of cake and icing situation where the government provided the cake to keep arts companies afloat and running along and healthy and philanthropy and sponsorship can be the icing on the cake."
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