Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I table a correction to the explanatory memorandum relating to the Creative Australia Bill 2023, which will be circulated in the chamber. I thank all those who have contributed to this debate and acknowledge the support that has been given across the chamber. Some questions have been asked during contributions, which I will go to during my summing-up contribution.

The legislation demonstrates a strong commitment to support arts and culture, and it is clear from the debate that arts is crucial to everything that we do. It strengthens communities, enhances health and wellbeing and provides the skills of the future. The formation of Creative Australia through this bill transforms Australia's principal arts funding body into a modern entity that is able to harness the current opportunities available to the art and entertainment sector by bringing together public, philanthropic and commercial support for the arts. This is a strategic shift that will create greater leverage opportunities in the arts. Creative Australia will provide more support to our valued art and culture sector through restoring the Brandis cuts and increasing funding and services for artists, arts workers and businesses.

Through this legislation, artists, entertainers, arts workers and arts organisations will be better supported. Audiences will have greater access to Australian stories through new music, literature, performances and other creative practices and can be inspired or moved by the sounds and sights they hear and see. Revive, the government's national cultural policy, this Creative Australia Bill and the government's record investment in the arts sector sets a new course for Australia's arts and culture sector.

The beating heart of our nation's creativity is not bound within a room for a small number of elites to deem what they believe is worthy. Creativity is something that flows through the veins of our nation. The Creative Australia Bill will transform the Australia Council into Creative Australia and position it as an enhanced entity with expanded functions and responsibilities and new governance structures. As the centrepiece of Revive, Creative Australia will deliver on a bold new agenda for the creative sector and be the champion for Australian stories and arts practised both here and across the world.

The bill is not about creating more arts officials or extra layers of bureaucracy. I understand this is a concern that was raised by Senator Henderson, Senator Davey and, of course, Senator Scarr. It's not about creating more arts officials or an extra layer of bureaucracy; it's about bringing government funded arts, arts philanthropy and the commercial art sectors together in one organisation. The formation of Creative Australia through the bill transforms Australia's principal arts funding body into a modern entity, as I've said. A new board will be appointed under the legislation which will be the governing and accountable authority for Creative Australia. The board will retain the name 'Australia Council Board' to maintain its connection to the creation of the Australia Council by the Whitlam government in 1975. A staged approach has been agreed by government to enable Creative Australia to scale up responsibly and to implement new functions.

The bill allows Creative Australia to begin with the Music Australia and Creative Workplaces councils; the stage elements for First Nations arts and culture, and for writers, will come later. First Nations First will be established following an extensive consultation process, and its functions will consider the needs of the sector to deliver Creative Australia's First Nations First funding program. It will identify and plan for strategic investments and will commence activities in 2024. Writers Australia will be established in line with the commencement of funding by mid-2025.

To support our artists to tell our stories, we must improve the quality of Commonwealth investment in the arts sector and strengthen and streamline access to support, including for artists and art organisations. The Creative Australia Bill 2023, with the expanded functions of Music Australia and Creative Workplaces, along with the dedicated councils, is key to delivering on this commitment. I again also want to touch on the issue and concerns about extra bureaucrats. The agency has a very efficient track record of spending only five per cent on administrative costs, and of course we value the work of public servants; their work will be critical. So I think I can assure Senator Scarr, in particular, about efficient and effective management by public servants.

There was a question about board appointments, I think maybe from Senator Henderson. Minister Burke has made many comments about the importance of skills based board appointments. Section 22(3) of this bill specifically says that the minister must be:

… satisfied that the person has appropriate qualifications, knowledge, skills or experience.

Again, I remind senators that Revive is backed by a $286 million funding package and that it is new money, of which $199 million is going to Creative Australia. And the correction that I just tabled, Senator Henderson, clarifies that the minister's directions are not subject to disallowance. The word 'not' has been added.