Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and in particular to highlight this government's track record when it comes to the arts. I completely disagree with the statement that says:

… the Government … is a strong supporter of the Arts in Australia and recognises the importance art plays in our regional communities.

If the government were serious about regional arts, it would not be cutting vital funding to the Australia Council of the Arts. I will take a moment to read an email I received from one of the current recipients of funding from the Australia Council of the Arts. It is from the director of the Castlemaine State Festival and was sent on Friday. It highlights the urgency of this issue and the direct impact these cuts are having on my local community. The email from the director of the Castlemaine State Festival reads:

I rang the Australia Council today to ask if the Australia Council's Regional Festivals Fund … was impacted by S.B's—

Senator Brandis's—

announcement.

As you may recall the CSF—

the Castlemaine State Festival—

last year received confirmation of 6 years of funding for 3 Festivals (2015. 2017 and 2019) and following a phone conversation I had today with Oz Council staff, they could not advise me if this commitment was to be withdrawn.

This is the impact that the government's budget last week has had on regional arts and on a significant festival in my electorate that is not only a celebration of the arts but a major economic driver in the local community. Every single festival generates lots of economic activity in the community of Castlemaine. This is directly impacted because of the decision this government is making. The email goes on:

You will no doubt both be aware how extremely concerning this news is for the independent arts sector and regional organisations. While I do not yet know the answer about future funding commitments made to the Castlemaine State Festival, a loss of funding will have significant negative implications for the organisation and associated regional artists and communities.

This is the insecurity that this government has made by cutting funding to the Australia Council for the Arts, the independent body where peers decide the arts projects to receive funding. Instead the government has set up its own little group to decide what it believes is best when it comes to the arts.

Another organisation directly impacted in my electorate because of this decision is Punctum, which is a local independent small to medium professional enterprise of artists. They run their live arts series. I met last week with Jude Anderson, who is the artistic director of this organisation. Her comments and concerns were also quite alarming. Founded in 2004, Punctum is an artist-led live arts organisation based in Castlemaine. It ensures that local artists receive a decent income for their art. Along with its residential program, Punctum creates its own small to large performances in collaboration with local artists and partner organisations in regional Victoria. In 2011 Punctum was funded as a cultural leader in live arts through the Australia Council's cultural leadership initiative, another program at risk. In 2012 Punctum was cited as a Regional Arts Victoria key producer and noted as being one of two regionally based 'icon' arts organisations. Are these not the organisations that we want to be receiving support and funding? Instead, their entire future has now been thrown into jeopardy. Rather than being allocated funding because they have been judged by their peers as being the appropriate body to fund, they now have to hope that Senator George Brandis likes them today so that they receive funding.

Young and emerging artists will be the most impacted by this politically motivated decision by the Abbott government to slash funding to the Australia Council for the Arts. The Australia Council has announced that it would not proceed with its next round of funding, and I have highlighted two of the local organisations in the Bendigo area of regional Australia that will be at risk. This announcement reveals how hollow is the claim by the minister about his commitment to regional arts, and that is why I find this motion not only frustrating but showing a serious lack of judgement in how serious this government is about regional arts. I call on the government to reverse its decision for the Australia Council for the Arts.

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