James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to take the opportunity that this motion on the National Cultural Policy provides to talk about a really concerning development in my home city of Adelaide, and that is the prospect of the scrapping by the Labor government there of the Indigenous art and cultures gallery, which is co-invested in by the Commonwealth and the state, at the Royal Adelaide Hospital site. It is something that is absolutely unbelievable, given how that government has purported to have a regard for and interest in Indigenous affairs. Yet the investment in a national Indigenous arts and cultures gallery is, for all intents and purposes, being completely unwound. And that opportunity, which would have seen, beyond question, the greatest representation of Indigenous art and Indigenous culture on the planet in my home city of Adelaide, funded by the Commonwealth government and the state government, now appears not to be going ahead.

It's even more remarkable that the government appointed an expert panel led by Bob Carr, a former senator here, as well as a former foreign minister and premier of New South Wales, and that panel recommended not only proceeding with but expanding the investment in that. And the Malinauskas government is refusing to do that, refusing to follow the advice of a panel that they appointed—all in the name of saving money by ripping funding away from the arts, particularly Indigenous arts. That is absolutely heartbreaking, and it says a lot about the true genuine commitment towards the arts and culture, particularly Indigenous culture, by that Labor government in South Australia.

I've been involved in the Indigenous arts and culture gallery for a long, long time, particularly since being a member and before then, because the City Deal that was signed saw the bringing together of the funding required by the then Marshall Liberal government that brought this proposal forward and said that Adelaide wanted to be the home of the greatest collection of Indigenous art and culture in a purpose built, breathtaking dedicated facility that would have been an international tourist attraction. That opportunity was exciting and is now, regrettably, to be lost to the city of Adelaide. It is also a really appalling snub to Indigenous Australians—that we will not see them get that great representation of their culture in—and of course I say this selfishly—my home city of Adelaide, but it was a national facility that the Commonwealth government was co-investing it.

So, I really do lament that, and I condemn it as absolutely appalling and disgusting to seek a cost saving in that way and to not follow the recommendation of a former Labor premier of New South Wales to embrace and enhance that decision and instead see it as a way of saving money. It says all that needs to be said about the attitude of the Malinauskas government in South Australia.

I'm very proud to have the South Australian Film Corporation based in my electorate, and on this motion relating to culture in this country I commend them, as I always do, as being the great trailblazers of Australian film. There are so many great examples in the past and even more exciting ones into the future of what that institution is doing in my electorate of Sturt in bringing Australian stories in particular to the screen. The way in which they are succeeding on the international stage as well is a very important reminder, when we talk about cultural policy, that it is not something that is all about how much taxpayer funds are invested but is in fact about empowering Australian creativity and ingenuity, which can absolutely succeed and thrive in an internationally competitive market, particularly as online and digital content is now. There are businesses that are based out there, that work with businesses in North America and Europe. And of course Adelaide, as is all of Australia, is very lucky from a time-zone point of view that a project can be passed from Los Angeles to Adelaide to London and back again and a 24/7 work plan can be undertaken.

So, I commend the South Australian Film Corporation and all the cultural institutions in my electorate, in my home state of South Australia. I lament that we perhaps won't have that great Indigenous art and cultures institution which Labor have chosen to walk away from. It's appalling and a disgrace, and I urge them to reconsider.

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