Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question as to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. Trove, the National Library of Australia's online platform, provides one of the world's largest digital archives of local history but its funding is set to expire in June. This news is causing concern among historians, family researchers and students. Will the government commit to funding Trove beyond June and will you commit to keeping its status free for all Australians?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mayo for her question. The member for Mayo is among many members who have been raising this issue with me.

Obviously, I'm not in the position to announce decisions that are going through the budget process at the moment. But in terms of Trove, allow me to say this. First of all, Trove is something that when we were last in government we were very committed to with the funding. That funding was stripped away when we lost office.

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Check with George—George Brandis cut it. What then happened was, when the previous government recommenced funding for Trove, the funding was time limited, so that's why we're confronting an expiry date of 30 June this year.

For those people who aren't familiar with Trove, effectively, this is how what is available in our collecting institutions becomes available to the whole of Australia. A whole lot of people, whether they're researching family history or are academics, are able to get access to what's in our collections, even if it's not on display. They're able to find out a good deal, not just about Australia's story but often about their own personal stories in the background of their own areas. The government is very much aware of the significance of Trove. You'll not find us showing a lack of commitment to it, if I could put it in those terms. But decisions on exact funding profiles are being made in the current budget process. I'm certainly looking forward to being able to provide more to the House as those decisions progress.