THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
SENATOR CATRYNA BILYK
DEPUTY OPPOSITION WHIP IN THE SENATE
SENATOR FOR TASMANIA
GOVERNMENT STILL ADRIFT ON ARTS FUNDING
The arts community breathed a collective sigh of relief when Senator George Brandis was sacked as Arts Minister in September.
It is increasingly apparent that this sense of relief was premature.
Senator Fifield has refused to abandon Senator Brandis disgraceful signature policy: the arts slush fund scheme set up with $105 million ripped out of the Australia Council. Instead, Senator Fifield has said he will endeavour to make the scheme work.
Yesterdays Senate Estimates hearings, however, showed that the Government and its new Arts Minister remain hopelessly adrift on arts policy.
Though the Governments arts slush fund was due to come into effect from 1 July 2015, Senator Fifield admitted today under questioning from Senator Bilyk that the Government has still not appointed any assessors. The Government had committed to begin making appointments within 25 days of applications being received.
However, the Government also admitted that it has still not settled guidelines for applications under the program.
Incredibly, 162 days after the Governments slush fund was announced in the Budget, all that has been delivered is disruption and cuts to established programs. Not one grant has been made under the new program.
The Minister has made vague indications that there would be further changes to the program, but was unable to say what these would be and when they would be finalised.
It is quite clear that the former Minister, Senator George Brandis, was making up arts policy as he went along.
Senator Fifield appears to be following suit.
The Government should put an end to the uncertainty it has imposed across the arts community, admit that its slush fund program has been a complete disaster, abandon it altogether and return the $105 million to the Australia Council.
WEDNESDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2015
