THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
Arts Funding Cut in Slash and Burn Budget
The worst fears of the arts community have been confirmed in last night's Budget, as more than $100 million has been slashed from the Arts budget.
Labor's Creative Australia policy added $200 million for the Arts. This Budget has taken most of that funding that back.
Senator Brandis claimed in 2007 "the minister who had been most generous to the arts in terms of funding was me". Seven years later Senator Brandis has shown himself to be one of the meanest.
These funding cuts will have a devastating impact on all arts and cultural activities right across Australia, from the national institutions, main stage theatres, galleries and libraries, through to regional and community arts activities.
The future of the Australian Film and digital media sector will suffer especially, with $3 million in cuts at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and a cut of $25 million from Screen Australia.
The Australian Interactive Games Fund has been abolished completely, losing $10 million investment in the growing digital games industry.
The national cultural institutions will also suffer swinging cuts, severely compromising their ability to meet their objectives, taking a hit of more than $37 million.
These cuts prove that Senator Brandis is out of touch with the development of the arts and creative industries, and will leave Australia behind in the globalised digital economy.
He has also abolished the "Get Reading" program, which encourages all Australians to discover the pleasure of reading, for a "saving" of $6.4 million.
Nearly $10m has been cut from the Indigenous Languages Support program.
Abbott, Hockey and Brandis have turned their back on our writers, our film makers, our actors, our dancers.
They have turned their backs on the people who tell our stories, who enrich our lives, who make us who we are as Australians.
This Government appears to believe that if a cultural activity is not able to support itself financially then it has no right to exist, that it should not expect government support.
Labor believes the arts are a vital part of Australia as a nation, and are worthy of government support. Our arts, our culture, define us as Australians. They make us who we are.
WEDNESDAY, 14 MAY 2014
