Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Arts, Senator Brandis. I remind the minister of his decision to cut over $100 million from the Australia Council to fund his own personal arts slush fund. Can the minister confirm that he has not met with the 60 representatives of arts organisations in Parliament House today?

Senator Fifield interjecting—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fifield, be silent. Mr President, I am delighted that for the first time, I suspect, ever the first question in question time is about arts funding. The Abbott government has such a wonderful story to tell about arts funding. We of course live in straightened fiscal circumstances, there is no doubt about that, as a result of the legacy of Australia's worst ever finance minister. Nevertheless, in this year's budget, once again, arts funding was protected. The same amount of funding that was available has been continued into the same year. Not a dollar has been taken away, not a dollar. But what we have done is that we have moved some 13 per cent of the funding that was paid for the arts through the Australia Council into a new program, the National Program for Excellence in the Arts. The reason for that is that there are some—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on direct relevance to the question, though I do take the point that the minister is talking about the publicity. The question specifically asked whether he had met with the 60 representatives of the organisations in Parliament House today. I hope the minister would get to that question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to the point of order, the preamble from Senator Collins did mention the money cut from the arts funding. The minister has been addressing that point of the question. He still has half his time left to get to the second point in the question. I take your point, Senator Moore.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just want to make the point, to correct the misleading assertion in the question, that there has been a reduction in arts funding. There has been no reduction in arts funding whatsoever. But 13 per cent of the funding that was available through the Australia Council is now being channelled through the National Program for Excellence in the Arts.

Time is on the wing, so I will come directly to your question, Senator Collins. I have as a matter of fact not an hour ago met with representatives of AMPAG, the Australia Major Performing Arts Group, which represent the 28 most significant performing arts organisations in the country—and I was joined at that meeting by my colleague the foreign minister, Julie Bishop, because we now have a foreign minister who also takes an interest in the arts—and I cannot tell you how enthusiastic they were about the National Program for Excellence in the Arts.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. To correct the minister's understanding of my last question: it was about cuts to the Australia Council, which have indeed occurred. I ask the minister can he confirm that in addition to not meeting with the broader arts sector representatives here today, he did not consult with the sector before announcing this $104.7 million cut to the Australia Council budget?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, I have to correct you again: it was an offset. The money is available to the same organisations if they want to apply for it. But I am told that one of the arts companies that came to Parliament House today, this one I did not meet with, is a theatre company called Red Stitch, whose patron is Mr Anthony Adair. This is what Mr Anthony Adair wrote in the magazine Policy some years ago, 'The concept of peer group assessment is seriously flawed.' He went on to say, 'Control over funding for the arts should rest with the elected politicians and not with the Australia Council.'

Senator Jacinta Collins interjecting—

It is a representative of one of the organisations that you have instanced. I do not necessarily agree with that sentiment; I think most of the funding should go through the Australia Council and 87 per cent of it—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order, again, on direct relevance. The actual question was about consultation with the sector before the announcement of the changes in the budget.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind the minister of the question. He has seven seconds in which to answer.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I consult with the sector all the time and I can tell you, Senator Collins— (Time expired)

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that the Australia Council was told of the cuts just hours before the announcement? How many small to medium arts organisations will lose funding as a result of the minister's decision to strip funding away from the independent, peer reviewed Australia Council and funnel it into his own slush fund?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, Senator Collins, as is the case with most budget decisions, in fact the normal and orthodox practice, the body concerned was advised on the day of the budget; in fact, in this particular case late on the afternoon of the budget. In relation to the question of how many arts organisations will lose funding, more arts organisations will have the opportunity for funding through the National Program for Excellence in the Arts If you knew anything about this sector, Senator Collins, which you plainly do not, you would know that the constant complaint that I have heard as the arts minister now in two Australian governments are complaints about people who feel shut out from the Australia Council process. They have constantly said to me, 'We need an alternative funding channel,' and that is what we have given them.