Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It does not worry me, Madam Acting Deputy President. This is typical of the Labor Party and the Greens. They shout down anyone who does not have their view or who, more importantly, tells the truth about this cynical, politically-partisan inquiry, which has been an abject waste of taxpayers' money. The inquiry did at least go to Cairns on my motion that it move out of the Sydney-Melbourne-Canberra triangle, the golden triangle, and at least get to some places where the regional arts communities could have a say. That is one of the problems: most of the arts funding goes to Sydney or to Melbourne or to the major capital cities. The new program of the coalition government is trying to balance the moneys that are given to the arts communities so that some of it at least goes to rural and regional Australia and to Queensland and Western Australia. There is evidence of all of that.

I have to say that I was concerned by elements of the testimony provided to the committee that seemed to betray an unhealthy sense of entitlement to financial support of the taxpayer in the absence of effective oversight of the regulatory regime. We have a wonderful arts community in Australia.

Senator Bilyk interjecting—