Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to ask the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts about the dire situation facing the arts and music communities across Australia. These sectors have been absolutely smashed in the onslaught of COVID-19. Shows were cancelled. Venues were shut. Live audiences evaporated overnight and income streams stopped dead. To add to that painful scenario, a huge number of artists, musicians, writers, dancers and road crews were ineligible for the JobKeeper wage subsidies.

Labor called for an emergency support package back in March, but for more than 100 days you insisted there was no problem. On 25 June, you finally relented and announced a $250 million emergency arts package, and on 11 October, some three months later, you told the ABC that this money was already flowing. But we found out in Senate estimates that this is absolutely untrue. Not a single dollar has reached struggling artists and musicians. This is hurting the arts sector in my community of Newcastle.

I acknowledge that, while the federal government has been missing in action, some great work has been done locally. In particular, I want to give a shout-out to the state member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp, and the City of Newcastle for the terrific job they're doing in supporting musicians and the live music venues to restore a vibrant, sustainable live music scene following the pandemic. There are some fantastic initiatives helping to build momentum to get the activities back online. The Olive Tree Market, Makers and Traders of Newcastle, Independent Galleries, Newcastle FAD Sessions, the Newcastle Museum and the Newcastle Art Gallery have all done a superb job in creating a COVID-safe alternative pathway for the arts community to continue their practices and reach audiences. So, despite the many blows that have been dealt, artists have continued to entertain us, offer us hope, and foster connections and community.

Minister, why did you falsely tell the media that the emergency arts funding had been delivered? When will the artists and musicians in Newcastle see any of the support you promised and they so desperately need? Is this just another example of a Liberal government announcement with no follow-through?

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