Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the arts aspects of the budget and begin by expressing my disappointment that the Minister for the Arts has not bothered to grace us with his presence, which is further evidence of the contempt shown by the Albanese Labor government and its senior figures for important mechanisms of parliamentary accountability, including consideration in detail in relation to the appropriations bill. We hear a lot of rhetoric from this government about its support for the arts and its enthusiasm for the arts, but the simple fact is that we've not seen action that matches the rhetoric. In the last budget, we were told that Labor would establish a First Nations led body dedicated to First Nations work and that they would establish Writing Australia. Twelve months later, these entities have not been established.

In the last budget, the Labor government claimed that it would increase international investment in the Australian screen industry to provide domestic employment and training opportunities by increasing the location offset rebate to 30 per cent. Here they were seeking to build on the very successful track record of the Location Incentive program introduced by the last government, which attracted more than 30 global screen productions, created thousands of jobs and built considerable momentum, rather than the boom-bust mentality and reality which we had had for many years in the Australian screen production sector when it came to attracting global screen productions to be produced here. Twelve months on, we've still not seen the legislation take effect to increase the location offset to 30 per cent. Industry stakeholders are complaining that this government is keeping them in a state of uncertainty, and of course investors are holding back on making investments in film projects as they wait to see whether Labor is actually going to deliver on its rhetoric.

We of course at the start of this government's term had the much-hyped national cultural policy, with sweeping claims that it would transform the arts sector in Australia, but many in the arts sector, understandably, feel that the rhetoric got well ahead of the reality. Of course Labor's home-grown inflation and cost-of-living crisis is having a dramatic effect on music festivals, with festival after festival being cancelled around the country—the 2023 edition of the Falls Festival, Valley Ways, Coastal Jam and Vintage Vibes. We have seen the pausing of Hobart's iconic Dark Mofo for 2024. Venues like Brisbane's The Zoo are closing their doors. This sector is crying out for help, and those cries are falling on deaf ears. The live music sector contributes an estimated $5.7 billion to the Australian economy, so the announced $8.6 million is a drop in the ocean. It's no wonder that publications like The Conversation have expressed the opinion that the Australian live music industry is in crisis.

In contrast to the hopeless approach of the current government, the previous government had a strong commitment to funding the arts. We delivered record Commonwealth arts funding in 2021-22, with more than $1 billion for the arts. No government since then has matched that funding. We allocated $200 million to our RISE fund to support 541 shows, performances, festivals and events around the country because what we believe in is getting more shows put on. What Labor believe in is employing more bureaucrats in Canberra; that's what gets them excited. It's not production; it is more bureaucrats.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 17:52 to 18:01

Let me ask the following questions: When will the First Nations led board be established? When will Writers Australia be established? When will the government deliver on its promise to increase the location offset to 30 per cent? How many musical festivals have been cancelled under the Labor government? How many more bureaucrats in the arts area have been hired since this government took office, and how many extra bureaucrats will be hired as a result of decisions under this budget? What effect has the hiring of additional bureaucrats in Music Australia had in stimulating and restoring a vibrant Australian music sector? What tangible outcomes has the National Cultural Policy delivered to artists? Why has money been shifted to establishing more bureaucratic roles in Canberra? Why did Minister Burke in one of his first acts fail to spend the remaining $20 million that was left in the RISE fund which could have allowed additional shows, festivals, events and productions to occur? All of these are mysteries of Burkean arts administration, which all Australians of goodwill wonder about, and we would be well served if these mysteries were solved.

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