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

I move:

That this House notes:

(1) that the arts and cultural sector provides benefits far beyond the arts community itself;

(2) that cultural activities make a tangible and valuable contribution to policy objectives in areas such as health, mental health, social cohesion, regional development, tourism, foreign affairs, disability support, skills development, education, environmental stewardship and issues affecting First Nations Australians;

(3) that the new National Cultural Policy, 'Revive', takes a whole of government approach that emphasises the potential of the arts to serve public policy objectives across a range of portfolios and advances a cross-portfolio commitment to creative endeavour;

(4) that the Government recognises the centrality of the arts to our national identity, community life and individual wellbeing; and

(5) Revive will provide new investment and new vision for the cultural sector, to begin repairing the damage caused by a decade of neglect of the arts by the previous Government.

It's fair to say that the arts did not thrive under the former government, who failed to recognise their true value. They saw them as a charity case, an indulgence or sometimes a punching bag when it served their political agenda. The Albanese government takes a different approach. We recognise the value of art for art's sake but also acknowledge that the arts deliver benefits far beyond the arts community itself. We recognise that the arts make a tangible and valuable contribution in areas like education, health, mental health, the environment, foreign affairs and trade, tourism and regional development, and in issues affecting First Nations Australians. Our new national cultural policy, Revive, acknowledges this, and we will play a national leadership role in fostering collaboration across portfolios and coordination between all levels of government.

I want to start with education. This weekend, I saw Winmalee High School's production of Matilda. Even if Max Jackson, who plays the unlikeable Mr Wormwood, hadn't name-checked me in the song 'Telly', which argues that you learn more from television than you do from books, it's clear how much richness, joy and pride students, parents and teachers get from being involved in school musicals. But it ignores the growth that also occurs during the process—the lessons in collaboration, in hard work and in the sense that something that typically seems a local mess to start with can, with determination and persistence, become an amazing performance, as it was on Saturday night.

So it's no surprise that we see an important role for education as part of our support for the arts, and vice versa. One example is that we're providing $2.6 million to support specialist in-school arts education programs, particularly for areas of identified disadvantage. We're providing the funding for the Australian Youth Orchestra's national music teacher mentoring program to help generalist teachers enrich music education practice in their classrooms. We're also supporting 60 primary schools around Australia to teach local First Nations languages and cultural knowledge in those schools.

But the arts reaches across many other portfolios, and under Revive, in health and mental health, there's recognition of the intersection of the two. We're providing pilot funding of $4.2 million to support access to art and music therapy programs and generate valuable data on the broader community impacts of that and the demand for those services. In other portfolio areas, there's funding for health related arts programs. For example, through the Veteran Wellbeing Grants program, the Penrith based Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia has received $98,000 for a program called Guitars for Vets, a community based music and wellbeing program I'm looking forward to seeing rolled out in my neighbouring electorate.

When we turn to the environment, we recognise that the two, arts and environment, are really closely linked. One of the initiatives in Revive is to establish artist residencies to visit to World Heritage sites in Australia to produce artworks that help share the intrinsic value of Australia's natural and built heritage. We know the power of the arts to attract tourists, and our new funding of landmark cultural spaces like the National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs and the Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Perth will stimulate domestic and international tourism.

I visited many disability services as Special Envoy for the Arts, where the making of art, whether it's visual arts or drama, movement and filmmaking, like at Bindi and Incite in Alice Springs, brings many benefits to participants and their families. Last month the Department of Social Services announced more than $1 million in funding for arts projects to support young people aged 12 to 18 years, people with disability, people with mental health issues, vulnerable women and unemployed people, including things like Big hART for First Nations youth in outback Western Australia, Circus Nexus across Melbourne, and Bus Stop Films in Sydney and the Illawarra.

This is what a whole-of-government commitment to creative endeavour looks like, and it's encouraging to see funding flow towards arts projects in this way. The Albanese government doesn't see the arts as an optional extra, as something that you tack on when there's a bit of money left over. It's not just a 'nice to have'. We see culture and creativity as central to our quality of life and our identity. We see the arts as a powerful force for positive change across many policy areas.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia is a creative nation with a rich cultural history. Our filmmakers, actors, musicians, writers and painters have a reputation for excellence, for storytelling and for capturing the hearts and minds of people across the world. This is no more true than in Wentworth, where the arts and culture are central to the fabric of our community. My electorate is home to over 10,000 people who work in the cultural and creative industries as well as 4,000 cultural businesses; it's extraordinary. In the past two weeks many of those have been part of the Vivid Sydney festival, with the incredible light show around the harbour drawing in more than 2½ million visitors.

But recent years have been tough, particularly for the arts. The sector has experienced neglect, which was compounded by the devastating effects of COVID-19. The livelihoods of many of our arts and cultural workers were threatened and in some cases suffered irreparable damage. So the support provided as part of the government's cultural policy is welcome, and it is imperative to the sector's survival and growth. But it is not just the promised funding that's important. It is the sentiment expressed by the policy that the arts do matter, that they're fundamental to our national psyche and that a healthy, vibrant and diverse cultural sector is essential to both our wellbeing and our economy.

The National Cultural Policy is a small step in the right direction. But, along with many people in Wentworth, I remain concerned about the long-term health of our screen sector and our ability to tell Australian stories. Telling authentic and diverse Australian stories helps us to recognise who we are, helps create a sense of community and respect for our diversity, and helps us to understand each other and to feel connected. But as more and more content is accessed via streamers, such as Netflix, Disney+ and Binge, access to Australian content is at risk. Without a legislative requirement for Australian content, multinational streamers may simply fill their schedules with cheaper repeats and international reality television. That's why an Australian quota for streaming services is critical. Requiring streamers to dedicate 20 per cent of their Australian revenue to making Australian dramas, documentaries and children's television would need only a modest increase in their investments, but it would protect our future by ensuring that Australian stories continue to be told to audiences across the country.

I acknowledge the government's constructive and ongoing consultation on this issue, and it is critical that they get the details right. For example, expenditure obligation must apply to new commissions only, since buying titles that are several years old is of little benefit for the Australian screen sector. The government must also be cautious when considering so-called multipliers, which provide flexibility but could enable streamers to artificially meet their quota without real investment in Australia.

The reforms should also protect Australian intellectual property. Currently too many producers are forced to hand over their IP in order to get their foot in the door with a multinational streamer, so they miss out on the benefits that should accrue when their programs are screened over many years. Putting in place a fixed term after which IP would revert back to the original content creators would ensure a just reward for the Australian screen sector. This is being done in other countries, such as France, and is something I hope the government will consider over the coming months.

There is so much more to do to ensure the stability, sustainability and growth of the Australian screen sector. I urge the government to continue to listen. I urge the government to protect Australian programming and intellectual property. And I urge the government to ensure that original, diverse and compelling Australian stories continue to be shown across our screens.

Peta Murphy (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last weekend, I went to the matinee performance of the Mount Eliza Community Pantomime's Cinderella. It was extraordinary. It has to be said that I don't think I'll ever look at Reverend Cameron McAdam the same way again, having seen his performance in the pantomime! What was extraordinary was not just the talent of people from Dunkley and further down the peninsula who were performing in the pantomime; it was the level of interaction and sheer joy from the children and the adults that were in the crowd. It took one instance of a character looking out into the crowd and saying, 'Yes, I am,' for the kids to work out that they had to say, 'No, you're not,' in response. It took one slightly ribald innuendo for the parents and other the people, like me and my husband, to work out that there was going to be enough in the performance to keep the adults entertained as well.

What it all added up to was a feeling of community—a feeling of engagement, belonging and people being there to be part of something together. To me, that's what the arts and culture mean. Sure, sometimes they mean going to a gallery or a performance in the city at the arts centre. But more often than not arts and culture mean being part of a joyous exhibition, pantomime, play or live music performance in your local community with others who are either indulging in their hobby or performing in their profession in a way that makes you feel connected to the rest of the community.

To me, that's why our new national cultural policy, Revive, is so important. It acknowledges the different roles for the arts and culture. It recognises that portfolios other than the arts are intrinsically involved and use the arts and culture to benefit communities. When last month the Department of Social Services announced more than a million dollars in funding for arts projects, one might have thought, 'Why?' It was because these arts projects serve policy objectives in that portfolio. It's funding for projects to support young people aged 12 to 18 years, people with disability and mental health issues, vulnerable women or unemployed people to express themselves and to get capabilities, confidence and engagement.

One of the grants went to Big hART for a First Nations program for youth aged 12 to 18 in outback Western Australia—a long way from Dunkley. But in Dunkley Big hART have run Project O, which was a project for young women in Frankston North to understand that they could be leaders and change not just their lives but the lives of others around them and their community. It's a program about resilience, strength and leadership, and it's an arts program. That's the sort of funding that will come under Revive, which is so important for communities.

The terrific Special Envoy for the Arts spoke about visiting services for people with disability and how the arts have the power to fundamentally change people's lives and build a stronger, more inclusive society. We see that with BAM Arts in my electorate. More than once I've tried to keep up with the dance moves of Buster and other adults with intellectual disabilities and have failed—as the video, which my staff may have put up online, would show. It's just sheer joy and engagement from the parents and the adults who perform at BAM. Recently, BAM graciously invited the minister to come and talk to locals about the value of the arts. One of the things that came out of a roundtable I held was the need for better community theatres and facilities in my electorate so that community groups could put on performances like Strictly Ballroom, which is coming up. I will be working with the community to get those facilities as fast as we can.

Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Macquarie for this really important motion. I want to acknowledge her visit to my electorate this month in her capacity as the Special Envoy for the Arts. She was hosted by my arts and culture roundtable at the Wangaratta Performing Arts & Convention Centre, a venue we hope in time will, with adequate support, become a significant arts precinct in Wangaratta.

The roundtable was an opportunity for the local arts, culture and entertainment sector to discuss the new national cultural policy, Revive. The policy aims to create a place for every story and a story for every place, especially including in rural, remote and regional Australia. Regional Australia needs this focus after so long being just an afterthought. The roundtable was an opportunity for our community to learn how to benefit from this new approach and ask the tough questions of the special envoy about what this actually means in practice. The roundtable was attended by more than 70 people from all across Indi, from Yea Arts Inc. right down south, all the way through to the Flying Fruit Fly Circus on the border. Indi has a highly engaged and talented arts and cultural community, and a cross-section attended that roundtable, including practitioners in the performing arts, visual arts, music and museums; and professional practitioners, community practitioners, aspiring practitioners, teachers and students.

Despite having such a thriving arts and cultural scene, the arts and cultural sector faces significant challenges after years of dwindling funding and the hollowing out of the sector due to the COVID public health measures. High on the list of questions at the roundtable were these barriers and what the policy can do to overcome them. We heard loud and clear that we need strong cultural infrastructure, and this means modern, appropriate precincts and buildings so we can attract the best talent to perform and exhibit in our galleries, libraries and theatres. We need support to upgrade our aging arts infrastructure, like the HotHouse Theatre in Wodonga, so it can keep commissioning local talent, producing, nurturing and presenting new contemporary Australian theatre coming directly from rural and regional Australia. These places enable our people.

To see the Revive policy come to fruition we must upgrade regional galleries like the Benalla Art Gallery. It has a creative vision for a world-class gallery which interfaces with the magnificent Lake Benalla, the CBD and the heritage botanical gardens. It's the perfect place to deliver the Revive policy's vision of the very best of our national collection touring the whole country. These artworks are proudly owned by all Australians, and they should be accessed by all Australians, no matter where they live. I thank the Friends of Benalla Art Gallery for attending the roundtable and for their ongoing advocacy with this really important and exciting vision.

At the roundtable we also discussed the jobs, skills and local training that's required for our arts economy to truly thrive—for our producers, our technicians and the people who make it possible to showcase locally everything that the arts has to offer. David Godkin, a dedicated arts educator, raised the value of specialised arts teachers and how important arts education is for the health and wellbeing of our young people and for the future of the workforce. Jobs and Skills Australia has been established by the government to provide advice on workforce needs, including in the arts, and I urge them to consider a skills package to grow our regional arts and culture workforce. I especially thank all the participants for attending the roundtable and engaging so enthusiastically and thoughtfully: Eric Nash, director of the Benalla Art Gallery; Pamela O'Connor from the Friends of Benalla Art Gallery; Margie Gleeson from the HotHouse Theatre and Arts Yackandandah; and many more. Thank you for all you do to protect and promote the arts.

As the member for Indi, I take special pride in how our community showcases the arts across our towns. I recently attended the Rotary Alexandra Annual Easter Art Show, which has been running for a remarkable 53 years; the Mount Beauty Annual Easter Art Show; and ART in the Autumn, organised by Beechworth Arts Council. I congratulate the organisers and participants of these impressive exhibitions and the volunteers that make them happen, because they tell our stories back to us. That is what is so valuable and deserves our support. I look forward to continuing to work with the member for Macquarie on how we can make the most of the Revive policies in Indi. As David Godkin reflected to me after the roundtable, 'We must continue this much-needed arts revival, survival and enable a thriving arts culture,' and I could not agree more.

Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Art is good for the soul. It uplifts us. It is a mirror to our culture. It is the great equaliser. It bridges our divides and enriches our lives. Whether it's our stories being told, our music being played or our world being interpreted through paint, dance, textiles, stone or clay, the arts are central to our being. It is through these many and varied forms that we build our identity as a nation and project our culture to the world. That's why we must respect and celebrate all those who create our nation's stories, in songs, in words and in visual imagery.

So it was a real privilege to joyously celebrate early this month with the Minister for the Arts and our Left Right Out band as we joined on stage some of our nation's iconic musical storytellers the Wiggles and singer-songwriter Dan Sultan. Everyone knows the words 'Toot, Toot, Chugga, Chugga, Big Red Car.' The Wiggles phenomenon has been exported to the world. Through them and so many other artists are national identity is known globally. The Albanese government understands the importance of this, and that's why we are once again celebrating and investing in the arts, turning the page on a new chapter in Australia's cultural story, a new narrative fuelled by the Albanese government's passion for our nation's artists to thrive and grow.

Our government's new national cultural policy Revive will unlock opportunities, tell stories in fresh and compelling ways and, importantly, drive employment and investment for our creative industries. Through Revive, we have committed to rebuilding a $17 billion industry, which employs more than 400,000 Australians, after a lost decade of federal policy drift and funding neglect. This is important work and long overdue. Backed by $286 million over four years, Revive's centrepiece is Creative Australia. Creative Australia will now include a First Nations-led body that will give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people greater say in arts investment. Music Australia will invest in our music industry, taking more local bands from the pub to triple J and on to the international stage. Writers Australia will support writers and illustrators so that our bookshops are filled with our local stories. Finally, Creative Workplaces, a centre for art and entertainment workplaces, will ensure creative workers are fairly paid and have safe workplaces.

Through Revive and Creative Australia, we will expand economic opportunity, support ethical marketplaces and provide more venues to showcase our national identity to the world. Beyond Creative Australia, our government is providing $2.6 million to provide specialist in-school arts education programs that draw from creative-sector expertise. We're investing in digital and media literacy to empower Australian children to become active and responsive online. We're providing pilot funding of $4.2 million to support access to art and music therapy programs. And we're developing an arts and disability plan for people and theatregoers, like the internationally acclaimed Back to Back Theatre based in Geelong, to provide an opportunity to participate fully in the creative life of Australia.

All in all, through Revive's many reforms, we're making sure that Australians have an opportunity to add colour to the canvas of our nation's future. I'm grateful to the many artists and organisations who have contributed to creating this policy, to our arts minister for his work in sculpting a new future through our creative industries and to the member for Macquarie for putting forward this motion today.

In closing, a new chapter in Australia's cultural story has begun. I'm confident that Revive will support artists to survive and grow and will ensure our stories continue to be told with originality, wit, creativity and flair. In the words of the iconic Aussie band AC/DC, it's a long way to the top for our nations artists. But through Revive, I believe we are set for a generation of new sensations to hit our diverse and vibrant arts scene.

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

Many institutions and organisations have their founding myths, and one of those is the Labor Party's myth that it is the only party that supports the arts, and that, whenever the coalition is in government, we have, by contrast—according to the Labor Party—a cultural desert. Like many myths, it is not based in fact.

Let me share some facts with you about the spending on the arts under the previous government. Our $200 million Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand Fund, RISE, has delivered some 541 shows, events, festivals and productions all around Australia. And indeed, it would have been $220 million because we put an extra $20 million into the March 2020 budget, but for some mysterious reason, the incoming arts minister killed that money off. Apparently, he didn't want to spend another $20 million on the arts. We provided $50 million for the Temporary Interruption Fund which was so key to keeping the Australian film and television sector going through the pandemic. There was $90 million in loans through the Show Starter Loan Scheme, and $50 million in our sustainability fund, which we provided to allow major systemically important companies to secure additional funding to get through the terrible challenges of COVID. And, of course, the combined effect of JobKeeper, the cash-flow relief provided to businesses and other measures meant that total funding going to the cultural and creative sector throughout COVID exceeded $10 billion. It was far and away the largest injection of funding into the arts ever.

We also announced the 30 per cent digital games tax offset to provide a huge boost to the digital games sector, where Australia is underweight right now compared to competitor nations like the UK and Canada. There's enormous potential for that sector. We provided very substantial funding for our national collecting institutions: $22 million for the new gallery at Bundanon in 2019; $20 million for lighting upgrades to the National Gallery in 2020; $28.6 million for capital works at the National Gallery in May 2021; nearly $30 million for Trove at the National Library between 2016 and 2023; and in 2021, $47 million for digitising and preservation of works held across eight national collecting institutions.

Similarly, we provided a transformational support to attract global screen productions to Australia: $540 million for the Location Incentive program which delivered an effective 30 per cent level of support for production budgets for these global screen productions. We attracted 32 international productions to Australia, attracted private investment of over $2.84 billion and generated more than 20,500 employment opportunities for local cast and crew.

When you put all this together, you see that the foundation myth of the Labor Party—that, somehow, when the coalition is in government, the arts doesn't get support—is entirely at odds with the facts. I'll tell you something else. Do you know which government was in power when Commonwealth arts funding reached a record level? I'll give you a clue: that record funding was some $1 billion of Commonwealth arts funding that occurred in 2021-22. It was under a coalition government. So the foundation myth that the Labor Party is once again peddling in this private member's motion today is entirely at odds with the facts.

Let's have a closer look at the minister's much hyped national cultural policy. When it was released, the Minister for the Arts claimed there was $286 million in additional funding over four years. But experienced observers of the current Minister for the Arts know that it's always wise to check the detail. When you check the detail, what you find is that, of that money, $45 million came from cancelling the coalition's very successful Temporary Interruption Fund, and, in total, the new funding came to only around $60 million a year—not to be sneezed at, of course, but not in the same league as the $1.1 billion in new arts funding announced by the coalition in the last term of government.

We've had a lot of effort by this government into putting more Commonwealth officials into employment. Every Australian who feels that we have a pressing need for more Commonwealth arts officials will no doubt be delighted by this budget. But the fact is, every dollar which goes to fund more bureaucrats is a dollar that cannot go to artists, performers and people in the arts sector who deliver actual arts activities that Australians can be informed and entertained by. Our focus in government was getting more money to the front line; this government wants to spend more money in Canberra.

Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think we all remember having that wobbly, nervous feeling in the pit of our stomachs before stepping onto stage for a performance in primary or high school. To share our talents with our families in the school community was easier for some than for others. However daunting performances were for some, it was good for us and aided our growth and development. Students who did drama, art or music would know that those skills can bring a lifetime of fulfilment. Our arts minister, the member for Watson, and our other musically and artistically inclined MPs in this place would understand the passion and satisfaction of the arts. That is why the Albanese Labor government truly understands the important role the arts can play in building a stronger and more inclusive society—lived experience of and through the arts. We often talk about lived experiences when referring to mental health, and a little later I will speak about mental health.

It is clear that the societal benefits reach further and can build a more diversified economy and a more skilled workforce. Our new national cultural policy, Revive, recognises the contribution that the arts and cultural sector also makes to other portfolios. There are many areas in which the arts make a positive contribution to important policy objectives, including education, the environment, tourism, regional development, and foreign affairs and trade. Positives can abound in health, mental health and issues affecting First Nations Australians.

Within my electorate of Pearce, arts are an integral part of so many lives and bring sheer joy to thousands of people. We have many schools, public and private, that offer excellent art programs, which include dance, music and visual and dramatic arts. The Subih brothers, who are from the electorate of Pearce, received the Golden Buzzer when they appeared on Australia's Got Talent. We also have Jordan Anthony, who was a finalist in The Voiceon Delta Goodrem's team. This indicates clearly the importance of amateur theatre and all that the arts can provide. The Limelight Theatre, where many good budding actresses and actors start, is a great starting point for them. Ukelele groups, dance troupes, craft groups, youth bands, brass bands and so much more provide a great platform for our youth.

A high school student from the suburb of Clarkson, Indigo Ellis, who is a talented First Nations singer and songwriter, won a local talent competition called Search for a Star and performed with the Perth Symphony Orchestra at the Symphony Under the Stars. Our fantastic local Challenge Brass Band has been bringing tremendous joy to the community for many years. Let's not forget the amazing Snapshot Youth Theatre Company and One Big Voice, both of which I am very proud to be patron of. Indigo Ellis has been chosen as an ambassador for the Valuing Children Initiative. VCI is passionate about giving a voice to young people, and what better voice than Indigo, who is equally as passionate? Without even knowing it, Indigo Ellis is championing the heart and mission of Revive.

In Pearce, the song 'Impressions of You' was written to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and to help a mother and father cope with the grief of losing their son to cancer. Tony Hughes from Mindarie wrote a song to help his neighbours Colin and Wendy Herbert deal with the immense grief of losing their son Mark to pancreatic cancer last year. The song was part therapy and part gift to Tony's friends, who were left devastated by the death of their beloved son. Tony, Colin and Wendy are all musicians, and the project brought people together. It's an excellent example of arts in the wider community.

Revive invests in education by providing $2.6 million to support specialist in-school arts education programs. In the areas of health and mental health, Revive provides pilot funding of $4.2 million to support access to art and music therapy programs. In the disability space, we're delivering an arts and disability associated plan under Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031. The Department of Social Services is investing more than a million dollars of funding for arts projects that serve policy objectives in that portfolio. The funding includes $340,000 for Big hART for First Nations youth aged 12 to 18 in outback Western Australia.

It is clear that the arts and cultural sector provides benefits far beyond the arts community itself and that Revive will begin repairing the damage caused by a decade of neglect of the arts by the previous government. Thank you very much, and I commend the act to you. I truly appreciate the work and the understanding that the Albanese Labor government has for the arts and its importance within our community.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to take the opportunity that this motion on the National Cultural Policy provides to talk about a really concerning development in my home city of Adelaide, and that is the prospect of the scrapping by the Labor government there of the Indigenous art and cultures gallery, which is co-invested in by the Commonwealth and the state, at the Royal Adelaide Hospital site. It is something that is absolutely unbelievable, given how that government has purported to have a regard for and interest in Indigenous affairs. Yet the investment in a national Indigenous arts and cultures gallery is, for all intents and purposes, being completely unwound. And that opportunity, which would have seen, beyond question, the greatest representation of Indigenous art and Indigenous culture on the planet in my home city of Adelaide, funded by the Commonwealth government and the state government, now appears not to be going ahead.

It's even more remarkable that the government appointed an expert panel led by Bob Carr, a former senator here, as well as a former foreign minister and premier of New South Wales, and that panel recommended not only proceeding with but expanding the investment in that. And the Malinauskas government is refusing to do that, refusing to follow the advice of a panel that they appointed—all in the name of saving money by ripping funding away from the arts, particularly Indigenous arts. That is absolutely heartbreaking, and it says a lot about the true genuine commitment towards the arts and culture, particularly Indigenous culture, by that Labor government in South Australia.

I've been involved in the Indigenous arts and culture gallery for a long, long time, particularly since being a member and before then, because the City Deal that was signed saw the bringing together of the funding required by the then Marshall Liberal government that brought this proposal forward and said that Adelaide wanted to be the home of the greatest collection of Indigenous art and culture in a purpose built, breathtaking dedicated facility that would have been an international tourist attraction. That opportunity was exciting and is now, regrettably, to be lost to the city of Adelaide. It is also a really appalling snub to Indigenous Australians—that we will not see them get that great representation of their culture in—and of course I say this selfishly—my home city of Adelaide, but it was a national facility that the Commonwealth government was co-investing it.

So, I really do lament that, and I condemn it as absolutely appalling and disgusting to seek a cost saving in that way and to not follow the recommendation of a former Labor premier of New South Wales to embrace and enhance that decision and instead see it as a way of saving money. It says all that needs to be said about the attitude of the Malinauskas government in South Australia.

I'm very proud to have the South Australian Film Corporation based in my electorate, and on this motion relating to culture in this country I commend them, as I always do, as being the great trailblazers of Australian film. There are so many great examples in the past and even more exciting ones into the future of what that institution is doing in my electorate of Sturt in bringing Australian stories in particular to the screen. The way in which they are succeeding on the international stage as well is a very important reminder, when we talk about cultural policy, that it is not something that is all about how much taxpayer funds are invested but is in fact about empowering Australian creativity and ingenuity, which can absolutely succeed and thrive in an internationally competitive market, particularly as online and digital content is now. There are businesses that are based out there, that work with businesses in North America and Europe. And of course Adelaide, as is all of Australia, is very lucky from a time-zone point of view that a project can be passed from Los Angeles to Adelaide to London and back again and a 24/7 work plan can be undertaken.

So, I commend the South Australian Film Corporation and all the cultural institutions in my electorate, in my home state of South Australia. I lament that we perhaps won't have that great Indigenous art and cultures institution which Labor have chosen to walk away from. It's appalling and a disgrace, and I urge them to reconsider.

Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.