Alan Eggleston (WA, 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 update the Senate on recent government initiatives that have helped to strengthen Australia’s arts sector? Is he 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 the honourable senator for that very important question and for his continuing interest in the arts. Those who follow the government’s great record in the arts know that regular announcements on the arts are made, most recently on the Playing Australia program, which ensures that many of our performing arts companies can travel around Australia. This government has given a very high priority to the arts. To see that, you only have to look at the levels of funding for the arts now compared with the funding levels under the previous government. You only have to look at the support we have given through the Nugent report, the Strong report and the Myer report to various areas of the arts to see the priority this government has given to the arts. People in regional and rural Australia praise the initiatives that we have taken.

Senator Eggleston asked about alternative policies. A speech by the ninth shadow arts spokesman, Peter Garrett, has come into my hands. It is a unique speech. I do not commend it, but it does make some interesting points. Of course, it does give a spray to some of my colleagues. One would expect that from a shadow arts spokesman. Surprisingly, the speech also gives a spray to members of the Labor Party. Interestingly, it refers to ‘pollies of all persuasions’ giving priority to sport, rather than the arts. If the shadow arts spokesman is speaking about his colleagues in the Senate or the House of Representatives, I can give him many names of Labor Party members and senators who have shown a good interest in the arts.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy interjecting—

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

Not you, Senator Conroy, I am sorry to say. You are specifically excluded from that, Senator Conroy.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Banking and Financial Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Name them!

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

The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Labor Party Senator Chris Evans, had consultations with me recently on an arts project in Western Australia. So I thought Mr Peter Garrett was very unfair to some of his colleagues. However, he was dead right about state Labor premiers. He mentioned that he was appalled at the announcements of the Prime Minister and state Labor premiers that they would see if they could get some support for a potential soccer World Cup. I thought it was most unfortunate and unfair to attack the Prime Minister in that way, but certainly some Labor premiers, particularly in New South Wales, have been laggardly in the arts. I think Peter Garrett is quite correct in that.

In relation to Mr Garrett’s position, the Labor Party at present is unique in the sense that Mr Beazley has decided not to appoint the arts spokesman to the shadow ministry. That is extraordinary. I can understand Mr Peter Garrett’s acute frustration that he is not a member of the shadow ministry.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I take a point of order. I ask you to rule on whether Senator Kemp is relevant to his own dorothy dixer, because he does seem to be wandering far and wide.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, there is no point of order. Senator Kemp, you have 24 seconds to complete your answer.

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

Senator Conroy is upset. In relation to you, Senator Conroy, Peter Garrett was absolutely correct. There is a problem in the Labor Party with the arts. In the last 10 years or so there has not been one memorable Labor Party policy on the arts and, the way the current shadow spokesman is going, we will wait in vain for such a policy. (Time expired)