Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Hansard source

In light of the ill-informed and belated attacks on the policies of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts with regard to the Australian National Academy of Music by one of the shadow Treasurers in waiting—and, if the House is not clear who that is, that is the member for Moncrieff, to be precise—there is sensible information on the topic of the Aust-ralian National Academy of Music which needs to be added to the discussion about the Rudd government’s ongoing support for elite-level classical music training.

On 18 November, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts announced that Australian government funding of up to $2.5 million annually will be provided for revitalised elite-level classical music performance and the training centre operating in conjunction with the University of Melbourne Faculty of the VCA and Music. The new centre will retain the Australian National Academy of Music, ANAM, name in order to build upon the artistic achievements of ANAM and will commence training—

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