Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that Australia's arts sector is an essential part of our economy, our community and our identity;

(2) recognises that the impacts of coronavirus COVID-19 has destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of working artists in a diverse range of arts including, but not limited to, performers, writers, designers, illustrators, musicians, fine artists, filmmakers and children's entertainers;

(3) further notes that many of the existing support mechanisms, including Jobkeeper and Jobseeker, do not recognise the unique needs or economics of the arts sector;

(4) believes that protecting our arts sector now is vital for Australia to achieve a sustainable economic recovery from COVID-19; and

(5) calls on the national cabinet to work urgently in collaboration with the arts sector to:

(a) enact a tailored package of support to the arts sector;

(b) ensure that working artists are able to access appropriate income support; and

(c) consider how commonwealth, state, territory and local governments can assist the arts sector for the medium to long term economic impacts of COVID-19.

Australia without an arts sector is a country without character, without a story. Arts is the sector, but today we're talking about the people—the artists, the musicians, the writers, the designers, the illustrators, the children's entertainers, and, as well, the catering staff, and the technical support staff, the back-of-house staff, that make the stage come to life. This year, we, in this place, treated our artists worse than we have in any other year since Federation, with JobKeeper denied to hundreds of thousands; JobSeeker to be cut in just a few short months; the Commonwealth arts department effectively abolished; support packages too little and too late.

Our artists were among the first to have their livelihoods hit by the pandemic and they will be some of the last to recover. While we didn't have breakouts of mass COVID in Perth, we did have the recession. Four thousand, six hundred and sixty-three people in my electorate rely on the arts and creative industries for their employment—six per cent of the total jobs in Perth. The Australia Council for the Arts records some 2,055 cultural and creative industries and businesses in Perth alone.

It's six months since I first moved this motion, and, sadly, despite moving it six months ago and calling for urgent cooperative action from national cabinet, this motion still rings true. Arts are an essential part of our economy. Six hundred thousand of our fellow Australians work in the creative and cultural sector: $117 billion of economic output. We know that, in Perth, the arts are key to our city and to our suburbs. Vibrant, active, safe and beautiful suburbs all rely on the arts.

There have been two recessions in my lifetime, one under Labor and now one under the Liberal Party. While the government stood in this place on budget night and said: 'Mission accomplished; it's all on the up,' I don't think the arts sector believed that for a second. It was more of the same and not enough from this government when it comes to arts support. Even with the packages they have announced, the photo ops have been there but the money has still not gone out the door.

I know this, because I've met with many, many arts and event-industry businesses in my electorate over recent months. Audio Technik is one of the best sound delivery businesses in Australia. You can't have Taylor Swift at Optus Stadium without Audio Technik. There's the Astor Theatre. If you are a performer, this is the best theatre. You can't have Elvis impersonators—and I've seen an Elvis impersonator at the Astor Theatre—in Western Australia without the Astor Theatre. I met with the West Australian Ballet; the AWESOME Festival; Perth Arena; Matrix Productions—and a shout-out to Darryl and the team at Matrix. I met with Indigenous theatre company Yirra Yaakin; the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance; the Perth fringe festival; Barking Gecko; RTRFM; the Chamber of Arts and Culture Western Australia. I even got to have a chat to Aurelio Costarella, someone I had never heard of at the start of this year. He is an amazing Perth constituent who has made some of the most beautiful dresses that have ever been worn anywhere in this country. They are all different businesses, but they are all still feeling the impacts of this recession. Even the Bluey stage musical has had to be delayed at Burswood theatre.

I asked my community on Facebook what they wanted me to say to the government in this place. Christina said, 'Remind them that the arts are the face and culture of Australia.' Monica O'Neil asked me to say, 'The arts sector brings the heart and soul of our community to life.' Andrew Pearce is worried about Australian content. He fears 'a world where there are no more Aussie kids shows—instead just a truckload of imported stuff that doesn't represent who we are as a country.'

I want to finish by saying an arts education is a quality education. Time and time again this government has tried to punish the arts. Two weeks ago we saw whacked through this place the job-ready graduates legislation—I think it's coming back today—more than doubling the cost of an arts degree. At the same time that they're doubling the cost of an arts degree, they are building what I must say is a very beautiful $600 million-plus Edith Cowan University Perth city campus in my electorate. But the students who go there are going to pay 113 per cent more for their degrees. So, again, it is disrespecting those who want to dedicate their lives to the arts.

I'll finish by thanking our artists. You've given us hope in a miserable year. You've begun capturing this moment in history. You've helped people grieve and helped people find joy. Hopefully, we will soon help you.

Trent Zimmerman (North Sydney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. Is the motion seconded?

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The motion is seconded, and I reserve my right to speak.

Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the arts community and the member for Perth's motion that highlights the importance of Australia's arts sector to our economy, to our community and, indeed, to our national identity. Support for the arts is not only a cultural imperative; it is an economic one. Astonishingly, cultural and creative activity contributed $112 billion—that's 6.4 per cent of GDP—to Australia's economy in the 2016-17 financial year. But the value of the arts cannot be reduced to a dollar figure. It is the quality and significance of the creative work that is of importance.

The arts weave into our lives each and every day almost without us knowing it, whether it is a moving film, a beautifully designed building or simply an elegant teacup. The arts stimulate our mind and our imagination. The arts provide everyday lives with moments of beauty. This year has been a great impost on the arts. The restrictions imposed by COVID have been painful.

In my electorate of Higgins, museums, festivals and libraries continue to be closed. Clubs and pubs, the thriving venues for bands, comedians and other performers, remain shut. Theatres are empty. This all leaves a big gap in the lives of our community. More than that: the pain is for those who work with great passion themselves in the arts sector. The arts community was hit early and hard by the COVID crisis, and this sector continues to face immense challenges and hardship.

It is important that Australians understand that the Morrison government recognises this impact. In recognition of the economic, social and national importance of the cultural and creative sector, the government has provided around $700 million of additional, targeted support to the sector in response to the COVID pandemic. This support package includes $22 million to support Australia's national cultural institutions. These are institutions that have been closed through no fault of their own. There is $35 million for the COVID-19 Arts Sustainability Fund and $250 million to support artists and organisations to get back to business following the disruptions caused by COVID. Furthermore, the government's whole-of-economy measures have further worked to support the sector. They have literally been a lifesaver for many.

The JobKeeper payment has worked to support countless employees in the sector, connecting them to their employing organisation. In aggregate, this support will end up being worth between $4 billion and $10 billion to the creative workforce, making it the single largest government investment to support our arts and creative sector that we have ever seen. We do this because we recognise the vital and important role of the arts in the lives of all Australians.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to meet with a new approach, an independent think tank championing the Australian arts and cultural sector. Following my meeting with the chair, Rupert Myer, and the program director, Kate Fielding, I championed the need for an inquiry into the impacts of COVID on the arts and how we as a government are responding. It's so important because not only are the arts important to us, they are important to our cultural identity.

As announced in August this year, the standing committee will now undertake a parliamentary inquiry into Australia's creative and cultural industries and institutions, including but not limited to Indigenous, regional, rural and community based organisations. The inquiry will consider the direct and indirect benefits and employment opportunities of the creative and cultural industries; the non-economic benefits that enhance community social wellbeing and promote Australian identity; the best mechanism for ensuring cooperation and delivery of policy between layers of government; the impact of COVID on the creative and cultural industries; and avenues for increasing access and opportunities for Australia's creative and cultural industries through innovation and the digital environment.

I encourage all those who are passionate about our arts sector to continue making a submission to the inquiry prior to the deadline this Thursday. I await the day when our venues can reopen in Victoria and get back to work. Thank you to all those in the arts sector.

Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Despite the hollow words coming from the government, the truth is that the arts and entertainment sector has been on its knees for years. With the coronavirus, artists, who were already in a difficult position, have seen their industry and their jobs made worse by this government's neglect and failure to look after those in our creative industries. I want to go through some of that failure and neglect, but let's first go through some of the systemic things that happened before the coronavirus.

First of all, we have seen cuts to the ABC—year in, year out, the federal government has reduced funding to the Australian national broadcaster. The federal government has systemically ripped funding away, which has meant jobs have been lost year after year, including at Southbank, in my electorate, where the ABC has one of its homes. We've also had cuts to the Australia Council. Year after year, the Australia Council is forced to try and fund more organisations with less funding, to try and produce more art with less funding and less support for the sector.

And if you want to look at how this government treats the arts: they, in all their wisdom, decided to remove and delete the arts as its own department. This government, under Scott Morrison, didn't even think the arts was worthy of its own department. Instead, they decided to hide it and bundled it in with the department of transport and infrastructure. The arts are not transport and infrastructure. The arts there are their own industry. They deserve their own department, and they deserve a priority they are not being given by this government.

In my electorate of Macnamara it is estimated that around one in 10 workers is working in the creative industries in some form. It is a remarkable achievement. It is one of the biggest industries locally. In Southbank we have the arts hub in Melbourne with some incredible theatres. We have the arts centre, the recital centre and the ABC—all the way through to St Kilda and everything in between. It is almost the home of the arts in Melbourne, and we couldn't be prouder. But all of these workers, the almost one in 10 in my electorate—from the major theatre companies, to our local independent and smaller theatre companies, to our musicians and visual artists—are being left behind by this government.

The previous speaker spoke about JobKeeper. The truth is that JobKeeper couldn't have been designed in a way that left out artists more. JobKeeper from this government has left out artists systematically. The very nature of the creative industries and creative work means that artists do project work, short-term project work, which means that most people aren't in the same employment for more than 12 months. Literally thousands and thousands of Australians have been left off JobKeeper by this government. The JobSeeker payment, which is heading back towards $40 a day, will be all that's left for many, many thousands of people in the arts sector because of this government's failure to keep their industry alive.

Despite having taken away the department of the arts, the Prime Minister, after basically announcing in March that the arts were going to be one of the hardest hit industries, took until July to announce a specific industry support package $250 million. For most of that—which is the concessional loans—the guidelines aren't even out yet. As for the RISE Fund, we know that the government is not going to spend a dollar until December. It's October. The pandemic has been going since the start of the year, and this government hasn't spent a dollar on the industry-specific payments for the arts. If you want to know what sector has been literally left behind at every single stage by this government—left off JobKeeper, deliberately designed in a way to leave off artists—it is the arts and entertainment sector. It is our artists.

I'll finish with this. I have a local filmmaker called Ben Steel, who made a brilliant film called Arts in Lockdown, and it captured the pain that artists are experiencing during lockdown. But the truth is that this government had been attacking the arts systematically since before the coronavirus, and this virus has only made things worse. We need a change of policy, and we need a change of government, for our artists.

David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's my great pleasure to speak on this motion. The creative part of the economy, the arts and creative industry, is a massive employer. There are over half a million people involved in this industry, and 6½ per cent of the gross domestic product comes out of this industry. Without a doubt, it is a really critical part of the Australian economy. But in no other industry did COVID have such an immediate and deleterious effect on operations. The gig economy was put into hibernation because of COVID; in performance venues, crowd numbers were limited, and the venues couldn't operate unless they had people there. It's just extensive.

Whether they're metropolitan, regional or remote, all these creative pursuits lead to employment ; they are not just a hobby. The creative industries employ a lot of people—as I said, almost half a million. The official figures are about 410,000, but that doesn't count all the casual employment which can fly under the radar. That's what a lot of people have been telling me—because there's a committee of inquiry looking into this; the Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts put out a survey and we are having an inquiry into this very industry—and one of the take-home messages is that they are feeling left behind. But, when you look at it dispassionately, JobKeeper and JobSeeker are available, and there are a series of other initiatives. The previous speaker, the member for Macnamara, just mentioned a couple of them. But there were some before the June-July announcement, and subsequently, and I'll just run through some of them.

This area of the economy has received enormous support. First of all, in April there was $27 million brought forward for targeted support for Indigenous arts, regional arts and Support Act, that wonderful group that supports people in this industry who are going through an adjustment period, including support for mental health issues and the social support needed when your income and means of support vanish. We also allocated or appropriated $41 million to tax and short-term red-tape relief initiatives, and there is an evaluation report coming through on that. The previous speaker, the member for Macnamara, mentioned the $250 million. That is a huge bonus. It's part of the JobMaker plan to restart Australia's creative economy, and there is a portion of funds for seed investment—the member for Macnamara mentioned the RISE initiative. That's a restart investment to sustain and expand the industry and get it back on its feet. There are states that are operating in a COVID-safe manner, and the $250 million of funding will be a great catalyst for getting things back on track. Then there's the massive Location Incentive Program, which was announced in July. That's $400 million. It's absolutely massive. Then there's a separate $50 million fund for temporary interruption, and that will operate for 12 months. It started on 1 July 2020. I'm just trying to think: which other section of industry has had such a comprehensive, extensive and significant fiscal consideration put in at such short notice? It's mind-blowing. And that is on top of improving cashflow initiatives, which every business is able to use, and there are the JobSeeker and the JobKeeper provisions, if they meet the criteria for them. So I thoroughly reject the proposal put forward by the member for Macnamara.

We're all in furious agreement: it's a wonderful part of the Australian economy that delivers economic empowerment and it gives people a noble profession. The creative arts have a wide spectrum, from modern digital creative works through to traditional performances of classical music, and many of those have had their venues minimised or, effectively, shut down. They've been on JobKeeper or JobSeeker, and the best tonic for the industry is the lifting of restrictions, which is happening in some states. (Time expired)

Trent Zimmerman (North Sydney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the member for Calwell, who's looking a bit like a DJ ready to put a tune on the deck!

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy Speaker; it's appropriate for the speech. The private members' motion of my colleague the member for Perth raises the importance of the arts to the national economy and to employment, and highlights the constant fight by artists to be recognised and funded accordingly.

However, in addition to Australia's arts sector being an essential part of the economy, the arts and, more broadly, culture are also intrinsic to what it means to be human. They are part of our identity and our expression of who we are as individuals, as a community and as a nation. COVID-19 has devastated the livelihoods of thousands of working artists, yet, ironically, the arts and artists have been crucial to keeping Australians connected and sane during the worst of the pandemic and will continue to play a vital role in rebuilding both our economy and our battered psyches.

The arts and those who create and develop them deserve a national strategy of recognition, support and nurturing. Research from the Australian Council for the Arts has shown that prior to the pandemic almost every Australian, some 98 per cent of us, was engaging in the arts in some way, and 63 per cent of Australians believe that arts and culture should be financially supported. During the pandemic, 73 per cent of Australians have said that the arts have improved their mood and quality of life. These figures all suggest that a comprehensive public investment in arts and culture is indeed in the public's interests.

The COVID-19 situation has resulted in the loss of billions of dollars of expected income across the sector. This is all the more alarming now, given that a great deal of the arts sector were not eligible for the various government subsidies. Data released from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in April showed that the arts and recreation sector has been the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than half—some 53 per cent—of businesses ceasing to operate. The coalition government's 2020-21 budget reinforced its disregard for Australia's arts and cultural workers. Despite the Treasurer's promise in the budget announcement last week to prioritise jobs, his speech made no mention of the job-rich arts sector, despite it being the first and worst hit sector. The $250 million support package committed in June 2020, which will do little to restore confidence in the arts sector, is yet to come to fruition for any arts organisation. This comes off the back of disproportionate exclusions from existing income support measures, cuts to local content quotas for Australian TV and heavy increases to fees for arts and humanities degrees.

The arts and culture make a substantial contribution to the Australian economy that this government is supposedly committed to rebuilding. In Australia, there are 48,000 practising professional artists, 57,477 people employed in the arts and 600,000 people employed in the broader $111.7 billion cultural and creative activity sector. The arts-and-culture sector is a bigger industry than agriculture and employs more people than the oil, gas and mining industries. For every million dollars in turnover the arts-and-entertainment sector creates nine jobs, as opposed to just one in mining and 0.36 in oil and gas extraction. The central importance of the arts industry to the national economy is stressed further when you consider its intrinsic relationship with tourism, accommodation and hospitality. These industries rely on the arts and culture for their own success, especially in regional areas.

The member for Perth's motion is focused on ensuring that professional artists and cultural practitioners, be they individuals or companies, are given adequate support to re-establish themselves and their livelihoods. This is not just about professional arts, however, but an important way to ensure that community art and cultural development is also kept alive and thriving. In my view, not only do we need to recognise the central economic importance of the arts but we need to move beyond that to broaden our horizons and to establish a separate department, and indeed a ministry, of arts and culture.

At this critical time, our cultural maturity should be at the forefront of public policy. The pandemic has forced us, as it has all other nations, to consider our national identity and our place in the world. The growing demands to confront racism and inequality are matters that go to the heart of culture. Arts-and-culture policy is crucial to genuine reconciliation, multiculturalism, human rights and a truly inclusive nation. I commend the motion to the House.

Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Artists across Australia have had to dig into their own savings to continue providing our communities with hope and inspiration when we need it most. One of the greatest casualties of COVID-19 has been our arts industry. Many have been left unemployed with few prospects in the immediate future. The arts sector in Australia is second to none but needs our support. Our country continues to contribute well beyond what many of our peers on the international stage do, simply because of our unique heritage, cultural and identity.

I've had the privilege of meeting many of the talented artists in my electorate. Working in the arts industry is a difficult task, made all the more difficult at present by COVID-19, which is seeing so many small businesses and livelihoods destroyed. It is clear that JobKeeper and JobSeeker do not adequately engage with the unique nature of the sector or recognise the positive impact that the arts has on us all. We need to do more. Creating a tailor made package to help the arts is critical to supporting hope in Australian communities' local artists across this country, who are some of the hardest hit. I'm calling for emergency assistance—a much needed boost—for the arts industry, which needs to make it through the pandemic. I believe that the measure the minister for the arts has announced is long overdue, and I strongly encourage artists to take it up.

The Australian dream has always been about having the freedom to pursue your conception of what is the good life, regardless of who you are or what your profession is. We cannot allow COVID-19 to put an end to the dreams of aspirational and creative Australians. The government should not be picking winners during a pandemic—deciding which industries will survive and which will fail—and we have not. We have provided support for all industries, but we must also recognise that the creative industries have specific and particular issues that they need to deal with. The long-term impact on the arts sector will already be great, and for many businesses recovery will be a long road. Nowhere has this been better seen than when Sydney's night-time economy was decimated, affecting many musicians and artists. Supporting the arts industry will disproportionately assist young Australians who are some of the hardest hit from COVID-19. I have great respect for the Australians who pursue a career in the arts. It is frequently a career which demands many personal sacrifices and has unique challenges, made all the worse by this pandemic.

As government, our principle is to partner with hardworking and entrepreneurial Australians. It is a sad fact that younger Australians are the hardest hit when this industry starts going under. The effects of this pandemic will be felt for years by some of our youngest and most talented artists. The impact of this may not be known for some time to come. Yet, as government, we have a duty to act, especially when it comes to some of our country's most vulnerable. The arts sector is the beating heart of creativity and unorthodox thinking in our nation. Our message to artists across Australia is simple: 'We will not abandon you; we are here to help.'

Urgent work is required to support businesses in the arts sector, from tax cuts, to grants, to incentivising Australians to go to their local theatre. It couldn't be more important. Failing to act in support of our artists and musical talent will only discourage some of our best and brightest from following their passion.

I believe that, when individuals are empowered to pursue their passion, we all benefit. That is how the Macintosh computer and Microsoft came about. It is how Australian actors and musicians got started. It is supporting strategic risk-taking and not punishing failure. It is because aspirational Australians are enabled to pursue their dreams that our nation is renowned the world over as a source of global artistic talent.

The arts sector has been crying out for our support. Many artists and SMEs have fallen through the cracks. The nature of the arts community is unique, which makes the task of giving the industry a boost sometimes challenging, but we look to support the arts sector not because it is easy but because it is right. At the end of the day, we can have the greatest economy in the world, but it is all for nothing if our artists are impoverished and the creative soul of our nation is vacant.

It is all too easy to overlook certain communities in an attempt to save money in the short term, but this kind of real politics makes no sense economically and has no place in this nation. As government, we understand that there is a desperate need for us to take a leadership role in making decisive decisions to help struggling Australians. When the pandemic began, Australians rallied together to help their neighbours, support those in need and go the extra mile.

Debate adjourned.