Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Following on from Senator Dodson, I took would like to pay my respects to the late Archie Roach and give my sympathies and condolences to his extended family. What an incredible human being he was. What an amazing musician he was. What an incredible contribution he made to Australia and, indeed, the world. His music and art had a power that transcends so many others. It had the power to tell the truth about the history of this nation. It had the power to enlist understanding and empathy. It had the power to force us to think about how others are feeling, how they've been treated, and to inspire the action we need to respond. This is the transformative power of music and art.

I also want to make a contribution today in relation to all artists and musicians who are struggling in this country, who have struggled for far too long under years of ignorance and a lack of support from the previous government, and call on the new government not to simply put them in the later basket or the too-hard basket but to actually act now to support the arts industry here in this country. It desperately needs a helping hand, whether for insurance for live events, investment in our cultural institutions or the ability to have a seat at the table.

As we lead into the budget in October, many people will be looking on and hoping that this government does better and more than the last. But it means bringing artists to the table and talking directly with them about what they need to continue their power, their truth-telling, their storytelling— (Time expired)