Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Minister for Workforce Participation) Share this | Hansard source

In response to the issue raised by the member for Kingsford Smith about a resale royalty scheme, particularly for Indigenous art, the government are committed to supporting Indigenous artists in every way we can. We have been most concerned indeed about any allegations of corruption or misuse of Indigenous art funds and we are keen to make sure that any misuse or fraudulent dealings with Indigenous art are dealt with very quickly and immediately through our policing systems.

In the budget, as the member for Kingsford Smith alluded to, we announced a $6 million initiative over four years to support visual artists as an alternative to a resale royalty scheme. We think that is the better alternative. The initiative includes a $0.5 million per annum training package to help visual artists enhance their engagement with the commercial arts market and $1 million per annum to strengthen the Indigenous arts industry in regional and remote communities. The initiative builds on the government’s existing commitment of $19.5 million for the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, as part of a $39 million partnership with the states and territories. This additional funding will provide targeted support for a broad range of artists to develop business skills that will help them to engage more effectively with the commercial art market. We hope in particular to help them become independent of second and third parties in the marketing of their work.

The new initiative also directly addresses the issue of strengthening Indigenous art centres by enhancing the critical support they provide to individual artists. This will be achieved through increased funding to existing national arts and crafts industry support programs. Art centres offer a place where artists are not exploited and where their skills and talents are nurtured, developed and appropriately remunerated.

The government considered the effectiveness of a resale royalty scheme following the recommendations of the 2002 Report of the Contemporary Visual Arts and Craft Inquiry and in light of submissions received in response to the discussion paper released in July 2004. We concluded that a resale royalty right would be a largely symbolic recognition of an artist’s status and would not provide a meaningful source of income for the majority of Australia’s artists. Research showed that a resale royalty scheme would not end disadvantage for Indigenous artists and that the principal beneficiaries of such schemes are successful late career artists and the estates of deceased artists. Such a scheme would bring little advantage to the majority of Australian artists, whose work rarely reaches a secondary art market, and may also adversely affect commercial galleries, art dealers, auction houses and investors. The alternative funding package announced by the government will provide practical assistance for the majority of individual visual artists to build their businesses and strengthen their capacity to engage with the commercial arts market. We believe this approach to be entirely consistent with that put forward by Rupert Myer in the Report of the Contemporary Visual Arts and Craft Inquiry.

I am aware of the suggestion in a recent National Association for the Visual Arts press release that, as a signatory to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, Australia is obliged to implement a resale royalty scheme. This is principally a matter for the Attorney-General, and I am advised that Australia is under no obligation to implement a resale royalty scheme under that convention. In fact, other member countries, such as the United States of America—which has a very deep concern for its indigenous artists—and Switzerland, have also chosen not to adopt a resale royalty scheme. No doubt, like us, they are concerned to deliver the best advantage to indigenous artists.

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