Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It disappeared. It went back into the Treasurer's surplus. But the important thing, member for Banks, is they got their announcement. The minister got to tell everyone that he was spending $38.6 million supporting the arts program. As we heard from the member for Lyons, those opposite will stand up and talk about how much they care about the arts and how much money they invest in the arts. But the reality is they do the press releases. They don't actually deliver it. There's not a word about this. Hopefully, the next speaker might feel free to address the supporting the arts program and why that money wasn't spent. It's a mystery to me. But we got our press release. It's just another example of this government being big on spin and politics without actually delivering.

Now, in my electorate of Casey, we value the creative arts, whether literary, visual or musical. The local performing arts scene is a really strong one in Casey, rich with creative talent, including having two Australian Idol finalists in the top eight this year—something I was really proud of. Two extraordinary young people, Josh Hannan and Anya Alchemy, had amazing success on the show, and it was amazing to talk to them through that process and hear their passion for their craft and the success they've achieved chasing their dream. Josh is a local singer and songwriter. He grew up on a rose farm in Mount Evelyn, while Anya is a Selby local, growing up playing gigs in the hills at the Sooki Lounge in Belgrave. My wife and I were lucky enough to attend Anya's homecoming show at the Sooki Lounge. It was a great performance, and the crowd's appreciation for her talents was clear. It is amazing to see young people living their dream.

I value and appreciate the coalition's focus on stimulating as many new events, shows, festivals and productions as possible and getting them seen by as many Australians as possible. While those opposite like to claim that for the last 10 years the coalition did nothing, the reality is that under the previous coalition government 541 shows and events all around Australia were funded under our $200 million Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand—RISE—Fund. Burrinja is an example in my electorate that was a beneficiary that project. This brought back an industry that was on the brink of collapse after the COVID-19 pandemic, creating over 213,000 job opportunities as well as providing hope, entertainment and joy to all of us just when we needed it. We even allocated a further $20 million towards this program in the March 2022 budget, but the new minister cancelled it. He didn't talk about that, but he cancelled that $20 million that was making a difference in many communities, including mine in Casey. Labor's focus is on spending money, on more bureaucrats, and this was a missed opportunity to increase the number of concerts, festivals, events and shows and in turn increase the number of jobs for performing artists and participation by Australians in the arts.

As the son of an artist and a musician, I know how important the arts industry and culture are to the very essence of social community and wellbeing of human beings. The Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges nurture the most amazing arts communities, from Healesville to Warburton to Sassafras and down to Upwey. We've got amazing organisations like the TarraWarra Gallery, and the Eva and Marc Besen centre is a great example of philanthropic investment in our community.

I was lucky enough just last weekend to attend and open the Yarra Ranges Photographic Society Expressions 4 Exhibition display at our Warburton arts centre. It was an amazing display, with so many passionate artists there. As I've mentioned a few times, Burrinja is jewel in the crown of the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges in Upwey. And there's the Ridges and Rivers project, which was a $30 million investment between the coalition federal government, the state government, the council and private organisations, like Bendigo Bank, driving tourism and arts projects in our community. I had the opportunity to visit one: Peter McIlwain's Lung Trees sonic art in the Dandenongs. It was an amazing display and a great example of investing money into artists in the community.

I've got to give a shout-out to the Kapi Art Space Gallery in Kalorama. They just reopened after having to shut down for many months after the site was damaged in a car accident. It's wonderful to see that they've reopened and that many locals and tourists can enjoy the wonderful art displays at the Kapi Art Space. Congratulations on the opening.

Although the coalition will not be opposing these bills, as I've outlined, the case has not been made for these changes, as they are not, in the main, things we would choose to do. In fact, during a cost-of-living crisis, it is interesting that the government has prioritised increasing an already large board size to something even larger and to prioritise making name changes over actually delivering. These two bills are a clear change to Labor's very different focus: more Commonwealth arts officials and more bureaucracy. I will always advocate for our Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges artists, musicians, sculptors and exhibitors.

Debate interrupted.

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