Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

This is the first in a series of bills that will support the implementation of Australia's National Cultural Policy—Revive. This first bill amends the Australia Council Act 2013 to support the implementation of the National Cultural Policy. The bill will allow the Australia Council to operate under the name Creative Australia. There will be a time later when we introduce legislation to establish Creative Australia as a new body in its own right, but this bill will expand the functions of the Australia Council to support the upcoming establishment of the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces, Music Australia, Writers Australia and the First Nations First body. This bill delivers on our election commitment to transfer the functions of Creative Partnerships Australia to the Australia Council.

Since 1975, the Australia Council has been the principal Commonwealth arts investment and advisory body, with a strong profile in the arts sector. It supports and promotes creative arts practice that is recognised nationally and internationally, and provides research and advocacy on issues affecting the sector.

Establishing Creative Australia is the centrepiece of the government's National Cultural Policy. It will strengthen the capacity of the Australia Council, provide for greater strategic oversight and engagement across the sector, and ensure that funding decisions continue to be made on the basis of artistic merit and at arms-length from government. It will also include the establishment of independent bodies and funds for First Nations arts and culture, for contemporary music and for writers, as well as a centre for arts and entertainment workers.

The implementation of the Australia Council reforms under the National Cultural Policy will be staged to allow for necessary consultation across the sector; however there are a number of elements that require implementation from 1 July which are covered in this bill.

The bill provides for the Australia Council to operate under the name Creative Australia as an interim measure. Additional functions in this bill will also enable the Australia Council to commence work on the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces and Music Australia. A follow-up bill will be introduced later this year to establish Creative Australia as a new organisation and to formally establish Music Australia and the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces within it. These bodies will be critical in building partnerships and expertise that will both support artists directly and benefit Australian audiences. Consultation within the sector will continue, and will inform legislation. It's important that we get the legislation right so we can open up the government's principal arts funding body to more areas of the creative economy while increasing core funding.

The Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces will work with artists, industry workers and employers to raise and maintain standards, remuneration and safety for all art forms and arts organisations, and to ensure matters are referred to relevant authorities, as appropriate. The centre will ensure that, under cultural policy, such companies not adhering to these standards will be prevented from receiving government funding.

Music Australia will support the Australian music industry to grow, including through strategic initiatives and industry partnerships, research, training and skills development and export promotion.

The bill will also provide authority for Creative Australia to deliver the functions of Creative Partnerships Australia, including to attract and recognise public sector, private sector, philanthropic and commercial support for, and investment in, the arts, and to undertake research on the same. The transfer will leverage Creative Australia's expertise and bring together arts philanthropy and arts funding within one entity. It will create synergies between public and private partnerships, as well as government, philanthropic and commercial investment. This increased access to private sector funding for the arts will maximise the impact of public investment and support a sustainable arts sector.

The bill also allows Creative Australia to assume responsibility for the Australian Cultural Fund, from 1 July 2023, including all donations made into the fund prior to the transfer. The Australian Cultural Fund is an important mechanism used by Creative Partnerships Australia to deliver its objectives to grow the culture of giving to arts and culture, bringing donors, businesses, artists and arts organisations together.

Through this legislation Creative Australia will assume responsibility to assist Australian artists and arts organisations to attract and maintain support from donors and businesses, diversifying their sources of revenue and to encourage and celebrate innovation and excellence in giving to, and partnerships with, the arts and cultural sector.

This bill includes transitional elements to support a smooth transfer of functions and to ensure continuity of business between Creative Partnerships Australia and Creative Australia. These transitional elements will cover the transfer of assets, liabilities, records and staff entitlements and will ensure that at the time of transfer, employees of Creative Partnerships Australia will be taken to be Creative Australia employees and receive equivalent accrued entitlements to benefits.

This government's committed to improving the quality of Commonwealth investment in the arts sector, and to strengthening and streamlining access to support including for artists and arts organisations. A properly resourced Creative Australia is key to delivering on this commitment. The transfer of the functions of, and funding for, Creative Partnerships Australia to Creative Australia will align with this objective. As will the expanded functions and new funding of $199 million over four years from 2023-24, announced as part of the National Cultural Policy.

Timely passage of this bill will allow these initiatives to commence from 1 July this year, for the broader benefit of the artists and arts organisations.

Further details of the measure are contained in the explanatory memorandum, and I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.

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