Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Kemp. Will the minister inform the Senate of the Australian government’s measures to enhance Australia’s national institutions, particularly its cultural institutions? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies?

Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank my colleague Senator Humphries for the question. Senator Humphries, as well as being a former Chief Minister, was also the ACT Minister for the Arts, and a very good one. The ACT is very fortunate that they have a senator in this chamber who takes a close interest in the arts. Not all do, I have to say, but Senator Humphries does and that is much to be commended.

The coalition is committed to the long-term development of the arts and cultural activities in Australia. This is demonstrated by the budget for the arts this year. The Australian government will invest around $640 million in the arts in 2006-07. As Senator Humphries would know, above all the ACT is home to many of Australia’s most respected and well-known cultural institutions. The National Archives, the National Portrait Gallery, Old Parliament House, the National Library, the National Film and Sound Archives and the National Museum of Australia all contribute to the environment in which the arts and culture can thrive.

As I think all senators would know, the coalition have provided record levels of support to these important institutions during our term in government. For example, this year we will be providing over $64 million to the National Library of Australia. In the budget it was announced that the National Library will receive an additional $10 million over four years for the construction of a purpose-built storage facility, which was in fact opened in August this year. The library is also receiving $10.7 million over four years from 2006-07 to undertake a series of capital works including upgrades of the collection storage facilities at its Parkes building.

The National Portrait Gallery was a very important announcement that the government made in the last election. In fact, Senator Humphries was so excited by this announcement that he managed to persuade me to come up to announce this policy on the shores of the lake. This policy was welcomed by just about everybody in the ACT with the sole exception of Senator Lundy. Why Senator Lundy would be opposed to the development of a new National Portrait Gallery completely eluded me and it eluded the electors. But Gary Humphries was in there pitching, and good on him. Old Parliament House will receive further support as a result of the last budget, including the creation of a Gallery of Australian Democracy. There has been further additional money provided to the National Museum following the report and the National Gallery has received additional funds as has the National Archives.

You asked me whether there are any alternative policies. Senator Humphries, I have to say that there have been eight or nine shadow arts ministers—and they are still counting—over this period. There is a question whether Mr Garrett is a shadow arts minister because, as you know, he is a parliamentary secretary. That is a most unfortunate downgrading of the arts portfolio. There was merger mania in the arts portfolio as a result of Senator Lundy’s policy, and I am not sure whether that policy has been dropped by the Labor Party. It is completely opposed by the arts community. So I thank Gary Humphries for that very important question. I can assure you, Senator Humphries, that the arts are in safe hands.