Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The preservation of our most precious historical records is at risk. Without effective long-term federal government funding, the National Archives of Australia will at least need to cut corners and may ultimately be forced to close. This is a shameful turn of events. Our archivists collate and preserve the most important moments in Australia's history, keeping them safe for future generations. Moreover, complete and reliable records are essential for transparency and accountability in government decision-making and are critical for good policy decisions. To simply stand by and let the National Archives fade would be short-sighted and dangerous.

The important historical records contained in the National Archives include examples of the development of Australia's liberal democratic system, like the 1967 referendum results, the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, the appointment of the first female Prime Minister and the evolution of our multicultural policy. These are records of our progress as a nation and must be preserved. The Archives also include thousands of records documenting the stories of people who have immigrated to Australia since 1924. The community can access these documents to trace their family's migration history, and the documents are obviously a treasure trove for those seeking to learn more about their family's path.

Heavens, Mr Deputy Speaker; instead of cutting we should be celebrating, mindful that in 2011 UNESCO selected the National Archives of Australia as laureate of the UNESCO/Jikji Memory of the World Prize and, in the same year, the International Council on Archives recognised our National Archives as a global leader in responding creatively to digital record keeping and preservation. Yet, regrettably, since 2014, annual funding to the National Archives has been cut by $7 million and staff numbers slashed by 14 per cent, which is an alarming reflection of the disdain this government and previous governments have for cultural institutions in Australia.

In March this year, a review of the National Archives was released in which 20 clear recommendations were provided to government, and the National Archives are on standby to digitise the most at-risk collections of historical records, which could be lost as early as 2025 without an urgent cash injection. Shamefully, the government hasn't even bothered to respond formally to the review, which shows a woeful misunderstanding of the value of preserving our history. Protecting the National Archives should be a federal government priority, not just for the countless visitors and tourists to the galleries and research centre or to protect the jobs of the 300-plus staff, but also because it's important to us as a nation. It's the very record of who we are and what we are and how we got there. Surely it must be preserved at all costs.