David Smith (Bean, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

  (a) in April 2019 the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories tabled a report on its inquiry into Canberra's national institutions, titled Telling Australia's Story—and why it is important;

  (b) the report made 20 recommendations and was informed by some 83 submissions and several public hearings with witnesses from every major cultural institution;

  (c) the report's conclusions and recommendations were supported across the political spectrum;

  (d) unfortunately, 16 months on from the tabling of the report the Government is yet to respond to its recommendations;

  (e) Government inaction on these recommendations is having a detrimental effect on the operation of these national treasures, including but not limited to the:

     (i) National Gallery, which is expected to lose about 10 per cent of their workforce;

     (ii) National Library, which has modified its collecting strategy to remove Japan, Korea, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar from its list of priority countries from its Asia Collection; and

     (iii) National Australian Archives, which is preparing to lose large sections of its 117,000 hours of magnetic tape archives unless additional resources for digitisation are provided; and

  (f) these challenges outlined in the report are being further amplified by current COVID-19 restrictions;

(2) recognises that Canberra's cultural institutions play a critical role in telling our collective national story; and

(3) calls on the Government to immediately table a substantive and detailed response to the report's recommendations.

Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder?

Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion.

David Smith (Bean, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In March 2018 the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories announced an inquiry into Canberra's national institutions. The inquiry not only held hearings and received submissions but also provided an opportunity for committee members to participate in site visits to see firsthand the challenges facing the institutions in managing their collections, providing access to them and ensuring they had appropriate staff with skills required in largely expert roles. I was a latecomer to the inquiry, joining the committee halfway through the year, but had the opportunity to talk to archivists, curators, librarians, sound engineers and others doing their best in their work within, and in some cases across, institutions. It was obvious how thin the resourcing was and, as a result of ongoing funding cuts, the risk it created to these institutions if the issues weren't addressed.

The National Gallery of Australia told the committee it was at a crossroads after years of efficiency dividends had a marked effect. Their submission noted:

Funding reductions have put the core purposes of the NGA at risk, with questions around financial sustainability, caring for the collection and the planning of our loans programs under constant review.

The NGA can no longer find more efficiencies. The National Library of Australia's submission said the caps on staff levels created 'significant challenges', the Australian War Memorial noted the unsustainable impact of the efficiency dividend and the National Archives noted the impact of these measures were cumulative.

The committee finalised its report early in 2019, and it was tabled before the election in April 2019. The report had support across the political spectrum for its conclusions and recommendations. As the chair, Ben Moreton MP, noted:

A strong and vibrant collection of national institutions is critically important for the continued success of our democracy and nation.

…   …   …

These institutions tell our Australian story. It is essential that we understand that story, learn from it and use it to build confidence and pride for the present and future.

The report made 20 recommendations, including recommendations around the resourcing of the institutions that required urgent attention. These included a reassessment of the average staffing level caps to reduce the skills retention impacts the caps are having and the perverse cost impact of having to rely on inefficient and expensive labour hire arrangements, the adoption of measures to offset the disproportionate impact of the efficiency dividend, understanding the challenge of digitisation of analogue audiovisual items across the collections by 2025, and the need for a clear and coherent whole-of-government strategy across institutions to get this done.

The report has just sat there since April 2019, gathering dust without a government response to any of the recommendations. The inaction, particularly around the resourcing of critical skills across the institutions, has already had significant consequences. In June this year the National Gallery of Australia announced that they could make up to 12 per cent of their staff redundant. In July this year the National Archives warned that they were preparing to lose large sections of more than 100,000 hours of audiovisual magnetic tape archives as they did not have the resources to digitise the archive by 2025. And in May this year the National Library announced that they had removed key Asian countries from their list of collection priorities, closed their Asian collections rooms and cancelled their subscriptions to hundreds of Asian periodicals.

As James Spigelman, the former chief justice of New South Wales and former NLA chair, put it:

This is not a propitious time to proclaim to the world that Australians are not interested in India, Japan, Korea and all the nations of mainland Southeast Asia. That, however, is what the National Library of Australia has done by announcing it will stop its systematic collecting of materials about all these nations, because … financial restraints force the library to prioritise … The blame should be correctly attributed … No-one said that the library's funding was being cut. Rather, year after year, it was subject to what was called the "efficiency dividend". That this could be imposed year after year for decades, without effect on the delivery of services, as implied in the language used, was and is delusional.

At such a point in our nation's story it is critical that we support those institutions entrusted to tell our story and give us a better understanding of our place in the world. The government needs to urgently respond to the report's recommendations before more of our institutions' work is lost or left to wither on the vine.

Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Bean for raising this very, very important question. I have recently become the chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories, of which the member for Bean is also a member. I look forward to the ongoing investment in these very, very important institutions, these nationally important institutions around Canberra that tell Australia's story and why it is important. I would like to quote the member for Tangney, who was the chair at the time the report was tabled:

Canberra is the heart of the nation, and home to some of its most iconic national institutions. These institutions tell our Australian story. It is essential that we understand that story, learn from it and use it to build confidence and pride for the present and future … This report considers the shared value of Canberra's national institutions in conserving, interpreting and facilitating engagement with Australia's history, culture and national identity.

I do want to respond to the motion that has been put. The government acknowledges the work of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories, and it's important to thank that committee for the report Telling Australia's storyand why it's important. As the motion has identified, the report has made 20 recommendations. I have been consulting with my colleagues about these recommendations, and they are directly relevant to several portfolios across government.

The government's full response to the Telling Australia's story report will be tabled in the coming months, but I do not accept that there has been inaction by the government when it comes to supporting our national institutions. In fact, just recently I had the great pleasure of riding a bike around the inner section of Canberra, which actually takes you quite a way out, to look at some of the national capital. It was wonderful. I hopped on the bike and followed the National Capital Authority's chief planning officer—he rides much faster than I do—and I enjoyed seeing all our wonderful buildings and reflecting on what that holds for us as a nation. It was very exciting, and I can highly recommend it to anyone.

The government's full response to the Telling Australia's story report will be tabled in coming months, as I said. Over the past three years, however, the government has announced additional funding of more than $700 million in support of the national institutions in Canberra. There's $63.48 million throughout the Public Service Modernisation Fund to support the following Canberra based institutions: the Australian War Memorial, the National Capital Authority, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery and Old Parliament House. If there are people in my electorate who have not been to Canberra and have not had the pleasure of seeing those buildings, I encourage you, once we're through this pandemic, to make a trip. It is wonderful.

$16.6 million has been provided to the National Gallery of Australia as part of a package to deliver $25.6 million in capital works. That was in the 2017-18 budget. There was $498 million for the expansion of the Australian War Memorial in 2018-19 budget; $63.8 million uplift on ongoing funding for the National Gallery of Australia in 2018-19; $15.1 million to enable Questacon to expand its education and outreach programs in the 2019-20 budget; and $10 million for the National Library of Australia's Treasured Voices digitisation fund in the 2019-20 budget. There's $7.36 million to deliver capital works at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the National Museum of Australia and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. There's $12.7 million to deliver capital works at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the National Museum of Australia and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. And there's $5.5 million to the National Film and Sound Archive to enable it to digitise its at-risk audiovisual collection. There's a further $8 million to the National Library of Australia for it to continue its ongoing delivery of the Trove platform. Many of the national icons of Australia are to be found in this wonderful Australian Capital Territory, and I would encourage all members to visit these sites.

Andrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'Big-sky beauty, breezy civic pride and a decidedly hipster underbelly' is how TheNew York Times described Canberra, home to a slew of national institutions that the Gray Lady has called 'excellent'. As a Canberra local this praise comes as no surprise. I'm lucky enough to live in the same city as Old Parliament House and to be able to take my boys to the National Portrait Gallery when we have a free afternoon. When you flip through the Lonely Planet's guide to the top activities in Canberra, the list is littered with national institutions. That iconic travel guide states:

Some of the nation's best art galleries are here, and there's plenty of history too, both past and in the making – visitors can see Australian democracy in action at Parliament House before exploring its bygone days at some of the city's many museums.

So it baffles me that those opposite would do nothing about the problems facing Canberra's national institutions 16 months after they were raised in this important committee report.

Almost a year and a half ago a report was tabled in this place Telling Australia’s Story: and why it’s important. Almost a year and a half has gone by without any response from those opposite. These national institutions are the places that connect Australians to a sense of identity and that teach us who we were and where we're going as a country. To go into the National Museum of Australia is to be transported back but with an eye to the future. Among the 20 recommendations that those opposite are yet to respond to, the report listed concerns about ensuring Canberra's national institutions have enough support and resources not just to survive but also to grow, evolve and thrive.

These places are a vital part of Canberra. They attract millions of tourists to the Bush Capital every year. They bring essential funds into the ACT economy. In that sense, national institutions bring capital to the capital. But they're more than that. Take our National Gallery. It's sometimes easy to forget the transcendent power of the arts. Great art inspires us and reminds us of what truly matters in our lives and can take us to new places and evoke emotions. You can stand before Blue Poles and think about the conservative knockers who bagged Gough Whitlam when he purchased it for what's now regarded as a bargain price. What's happened to our National Gallery under the coalition? There have been job losses. What's happened to the National Library? There have been job losses. What's happened to the National Archives of Australia? There have been job losses and potentially the loss of large sections of 117,000 hours of magnetic tape archives unless they get the resources they need to digitise it. That's our country's history potentially lost forever.

We didn't need the coalition's lack of response to this report to show us what we've been told budget after budget. Those opposite don't care about Canberra in the way former conservative leaders like Menzies, Gorton—who even settled in Canberra after his prime ministership—and Fraser once did. Much like how they've literally decimated the Public Service, they're now starving the national institutions. The report outlines concerns on staffing reductions, citing the impact those cuts have had on the mental and physical health of those remaining. It speaks to how individual institutions don't have the money or the capacity to properly maintain their facilities.

I'm proud to stand as an ACT representative alongside the member for Bean, the member for Canberra and Senator Gallagher: Labor representatives for the national capital, demanding action for the national capital and cultural institutions. As the member for Bean's motion states, these institutions play a critical role in telling our collective national story. They help forge our future. Those opposite need to ensure that important parts of our country's identity have the support they need to carry on this vital work. Maybe they need to open that great Australian tour guide Lonely Planet, which, in describing Canberra, asks, 'Where else can you find superb dining and world-class cultural experiences only a short stroll from wildlife filled bushland reserves and serene lakeshore views?' Where else indeed?

Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the member for Bean's motion on Canberra's national institutions. I want to reject some of the partisan claims within it and acknowledge the very substantial commitment that the federal government is making to our national institutions. This commitment has continued to develop and enhance our national institutions so that they can be utilised and cherished by future generations. I think both sides of politics would acknowledge that that is what we're here to do. As has already been acknowledged, the government's response to the report will be tabled in the coming months. I'm sure that even the Labor Party have noticed that we are in the middle of a global pandemic. Other areas of government—

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting—

Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take the interjection from the Labor member sitting opposite. He called the COVID-19 global pandemic an excuse. It's extraordinary. Perhaps Labor have failed to notice that we are in a global pandemic that has unprecedented health and economic challenges to it. As a result, much of the federal government has been diverted to make sure that we securely shepherd Australians through this crisis.

The government is still absolutely committed to ensuring the continued preservation and enhancement of our national institutions. Over the last three financial years over $700 million has been funded to support our national memorials, galleries and libraries. This government is committed to the continued enhancement of these national treasures, and I would like to commend Minister Fletcher for his outstanding efforts in this regard.

As I said, the Labor Party's suggestion that the Morrison government is not fully committed to the continued development of our national institutions is unfounded and entirely false. In the last three years alone the government has funded $498 million for the expansion of the Australian War Memorial, $63.8 million for the National Gallery of Australia, $10 million for the National Library of Australia's Treasured Voices digitisation fund and $12.7 million for the National Film and Sound Archives of Australia. These are just a few examples of this government's continuing commitment to our national institutions. They are being backed by significant funding on behalf of the taxpayers of Australia. These are very significant commitments.

In putting together this motion those opposite had to clutch at straws in order to criticise the government's steady hand and proactive administration of our nation's cultural assets. I suppose I do understand. It suits the narrative of the Labor Party to try to paint all members on this side as cultural vandals, but the facts simply do not bear it out. Every time they try to run this argument they run afoul of the facts of the matter and the amount of money that the Morrison government on this side of the chamber is putting towards these national institutions.

I would like to particularly note the motion's categorisation of the Library's reorganisation of its priority countries in the Asia Collection. The Library is not—as those opposite have claimed—dumping vast collections from the countries named in the motion. Those opposite would have you believe that they are just leaving them to waste. These existing collections will not go to waste. This enormously important resource will continue to be available for future generations. Any attempt to portray the National Library's reorganisation of its collections as a loss of cultural assets would be to ignore the fact that the public will still have full access to all the collections that were once featured.

The Library is, however, continuing to expand its focus on our closest neighbours—Indonesia, China and the Pacific states. It would be short-sighted not to recognise that Australia needs to do more to focus on its closest neighbours. The government is already instituting the Pacific Step-up. This is just another part of that. The National Library is reflecting the shift by maintaining a responsible emphasis on Indonesia, China and the South Pacific in the collections going forward. This exemplifies Australia's commitment to, and continued friendship with, our Pacific neighbours and the way that we are leaning into this friendship. I'm sure that all members in this place would commend that friendship and our important interest in it. We will continue to support these national institutions going forward.

Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.

Sitting suspended from 13:15 to 16:00