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

Senator Lundy thinks it is a great joke; I think it is a very important issue. I must congratulate you, Senator Scullion, for the interest and leadership you are showing in an area which is one of the great iconic art movements in the world today. It is attracting not only huge domestic issue but worldwide issue. At the same time, many senators will be aware of claims which have been raised in relation to exploitation of artists—claims of fraud in some areas.

Indigenous art is an area which this government is very keen to encourage. It is an area which I think offers enormous potential to Indigenous communities. When you visit Indigenous communities, the art centre is often not only a sort of town centre where many people gather but also an area which is providing a real economic benefit to the community. This government takes the issue of art centres very seriously. The purpose of my visit with Senator Scullion was to examine the issues which are being raised, to speak to the art centres’ management, the arts coordinators, the artists and the dealers and to see in what ways public policy settings can help these centres.

Senator Scullion, you would have been delighted to hear last night that an early initiative that we are able to announce is that we have been able to provide further assistance to art centres in the budget. That has certainly been very strongly welcomed by the art centres—