Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It may be. It's a fine thing, but that is it—it's in the eye of the beholder. Culture is in the eye of the beholder: 'This is important to this; it makes me feel.' So I am very supportive of all things that we can do to do that. As I said, and as Senator Henderson said, there are differences in what we would spend on—maybe there would be some more grassroots spending. I hope and look forward to the department, especially the minister and Senator Grogan, helping us deliver this for the beginners.

Even schools came to me. I went and saw some school drama teachers. I was never overly good at drama. In school, if people had to wag, they would run away and get caught. I'd go and wait in the principal's office, because that's where people thought I would be normally, and I'd get away with it! But drama wasn't something I habitually attended. In talking to these people now, I understand that they see its role. A drama teacher from Belmont Christian College—I met her at an Anzac memorial—brought the kids to do some readings. She was talking about how drama sets you up for life and gives you the confidence to stand up somewhere—like here today—and talk. It's about having the confidence in yourself to learn, to be able to project and do these things.

So it is important, and this bill is important. As I said, there are minor differences. I'm proud to support it. The true thing going forward is that we have that continuity. If we develop the emerging talent and they don't have to travel overseas, as was mentioned before, and can stay in Australia—I know there are lots of things about content quotas and everything going forward at the moment—we will make that industry big enough. It's not just theatre, screen and film, live performance or music. It is everything. But we can work across these areas.

We're seeing film as an industry getting bigger. Having more Australian cultural content and defining what that is is important, because then we can go and produce the latest Marvel movie on the Gold Coast or Sydney. We produced Superman, I think, at NESCA House—a building at Newcastle university—but you couldn't recognise it as Newcastle. It was just a generic scene. So there is that difference between Australian made and Australian culture.

I think this bill will go some way towards helping define that. I think there's more work to be done. I don't think more bosses telling people how it's done will additionally help, but the process will start. We'll have a structure in place and we'll have a way to move forward, and that's why I commend this bill.

Debate interrupted.