THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC
SHADOW ATTORNEY GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
LIBERALS STILL WITHOUT AN ARTS POLICY
Today it became embarrassingly clear that the Abbott-Turnbull Government plans to go to the 2016 election with absolutely no arts policy.
That's right - this Government, and its Arts Minister Mitch Fifield, have nothing positive to say at all about the arts, and have made no attempt to repair the damage that has been done in the last three years.
Ahead of Wednesdays ArtsPeak debate, the sector had been rife with rumours that Senator Fifield would use it to launch the Turnbull Governments arts policy. Senator Fifield himself said watch this space.
Well for two uncomfortable hours we watched and waited and it turns out that space is entirely blank. Senator Fifield came to Wednesday's debate with nothing to say at all.
All he could give was a pledge to consult, and a promise that he was willing to refine and adjust the Governments arts programs.
This is after three years of government and nine months of Senator Fifield's tenure as minister. They haven't consulted at all so far. In fact, the brutal $105 million cut to the Australia Council came with no warning at all. The arts sector is right to be sceptical of an election-eve promise that the Turnbull Government will finally inspect how bad the situation is that it has created.
Senator Fifield's solution to the current crisis in arts funding was to promise some weird form of trickle-down economics. That if only more people were wealthy enough to buy art, everything would be fixed. That is patently ridiculous.
It is clear the Abbott-Turnbull Government and Senator Fifield have nothing to offer the arts community at this election but their legacy of brutal cuts.
By contrast, Labor has a clear, comprehensive and fully-costed plan to boost the arts sector and make Australia a more creative country.
The arts will be central to a Shorten Labor government.
Labor will:
1. Restore the standing of the Australia Council for the Arts.
2. Grow regional arts.
3. Strengthen live music.
4. Boost music in schools.
5. Invest in screen drama.
6. Carefully consult on copyright.
7. Support community radio.
It was obvious from the arts debate that only Labor has a visionary and achievable arts policy.
Labor is the party of the arts, and we are proud to stand with the arts community against the destructive agenda of the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
For more information on Labor's Creative Industries, Creative Country policy visit: http://www.100positivepolicies.org.au/creative_industries_creative_country
THURSDAY, 9 JUNE 2016
