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

I rise to acknowledge the important work of the Creative Economy Taskforce and thank its 12 eminent members: Rachel Healy, John Barrington AM, Greta Bradman, Adrian Collette AM, Li Cunxin AO, Ian Kew, Fiona Menzies, Barbara Moore, Alison Page, Paul Piticco, Dan Rosen, Chris Saines CNZM and Liz Ann Macgregor. The Creative Economy Taskforce was established by me as the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts in the previous government to provide strategic advice and support to the government on the creative economy as we recovered from the effects of COVID-19 and to assist with the implementation of the coalition government's creative economy JobMaker package. Under this package there was over $500 million in additional targeted funds for the arts and entertainment sector to alleviate the effects of COVID-19. Total funding for the arts in 2021-22 reached over $1 billion, a record for Commonwealth arts funding under any government—Liberal or Labor.

I note the Minister for the Arts recently announced a new advisory body which does not include any of the eminent art leaders who have served on the Creative Economy Taskforce. Of course while I make no criticism of members of that group—indeed, I worked with a number of them in my time as the arts minister—I do think it's unfortunate that there has been no continuity here. I understand that the next meeting of the Creative Economy Taskforce will be its last. The minister has been publicly silent about the Creative Economy Taskforce. This is disappointing. It is disappointing that he could not bring himself to appoint any of these distinguished arts leaders to his new body. I reiterate my thanks to the members of the Creative Economy Taskforce for their vital contribution. (Time expired)