Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to speak in continuation. Having heard some terrific stories about Simon Crean and his relationships with people on both sides of this parliament through his many years as a minister, I want to focus on the role that Simon Crean had in the arts. He really helped redefine how we talk about the arts and how we value creativity. He believed in the value of art for art's sake, but he also understood the need to recognise the contribution that the arts can make to other areas of public policy, like education, health, innovation and employment. He made that argument with eloquence, rigor and passion. He spoke persuasively of the social and economic dividends that creativity pays to us, arguing that investing in the arts helped cement 'the values of inclusion and the values of respect' that are so essential to social harmony. He said that a creative nation is a productive nation, recognising that support for creative endeavour is an investment in our economic development and our capacity for innovation.

As Minister for the Arts, Simon brought not only thoughtful leadership but substantial new investment to the arts. His policy introduced new support for digital gaming and live music. The Australia Council for the Arts was modernised and given expanded responsibilities—and you can see there the things that we have built on in our own cultural policy, Revive. We've taken the base that he set and we've progressed it further, given the passage of time.

Simon Crean's tireless advocacy earned him the deep respect of the arts community. Nicholas Pickard of APRA AMCOS recently reflected:

His mind, knowledge and energy was always ready to help, lean in and serve Australia's cultural future.

Australia's cultural future has been shaped in no small way by the intellect and dedication of Simon Findlay Crean. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife and family, to the many who loved him and to those who admired him as a union leader, a Labor leader, an arts leader and a man who leaves an extraordinary legacy of public service.

See this speech in context