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Elton’s Queensland Financials Kept Confidential
Details of the two Queensland shows of Elton John’s five Once In A Lifetime Tour regional shows in Australia are being kept confidential by the state’s government despite taxpayer money likely being used to secure the performances.
Amy Harris / Invision / AP – Elton John
Elton John brings his “Wonderful Crazy Night Tour” to Brick Breeden Fieldhouse at Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont., March 7.
The tour, through Chugg Entertainment, appears to have struck a deal with authorities to alleviate the risks associated with staging a major concert in cities where few major tours visit.
Of the near 45,000 tickets shifted for the Sept. 22 sold-out date at Mackay’s
In February, when the Queensland Government announced the two dates, it estimated they would pump an extra A$7.5 million into the state economy.
New tourism initiatives are being introduced for the visitors to extend their stays. But when Fairfax Media requested through Right To Information (RTI) for the Dept. of Premier and Cabinet for all internal memos, emails, contracts and meeting notes in regard to the shows, it ran into a problem.
It uncovered five pages of relevant documents. Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) initially objected to the release of the documents.
It later changed its mind, but Fairfax Media received highly edited documents, especially as to worth of the agreements, which are rumored to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The RTI officer explained releasing “confidential commercial information” would impact Chugg Entertainment’s business operations and affect TEQ’s future prospects of dealing with music promoters.
Additionally, other cities could use the information of the government’s support package “to attract events away from Queensland by providing more investment and support.”