Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, this policy is about creating excellence, jobs, prosperity, opportunity and unique Australian stories, all vital to an outward looking, competitive and confident nation. It is the first national cultural policy for almost 20 years, recognising that we must update our strategies because of the major changes sweeping through the cultural sector. It is a vision and strategy to place arts and culture at the centre of modern Australian life. It will provide further evidence that a creative nation is a productive nation that produces not only an economic dividend but a social dividend through investing in the cultural sectors, with the return in strengthening our underlying values of inclusiveness, openness and democratic practice. Culture is expressed in many ways: through our stories, through the way we live, the way we speak, conduct public life, relate to others, celebrate, remember the past, entertain ourselves and imagine the future. And our creative expression gives voice to us as individuals, challenges perceptions and helps us see the world through the eyes of others. This is a national cultural policy that we believe all Australians can be proud of. It contains many specific initiatives, including further investment in the Australia Council, investment in major performing arts companies—the ArtsReady program, Creative Young Stars program, ArtStart program—and of course investment in Indigenous visual arts industry support programs as well. There are several more— (Time expired)