Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Does the Prime Minister agree with one of Australia's most respected arts administrators, Mr Michael Lynch, who said that the decision to slash $104.7 million from the Australia Council to start a ministerial slush fund was 'a disgrace to the present government'?

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

Senator Bilyk, I have not seen those remarks, so I cannot really comment on them. And I will leave commentary on arts policy to my colleague and friend Senator Fifield.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Does the Prime Minister agree with Mr Lynch when he said that the decision to slash the funding of the Australia Council was 'one of the worst pieces of bad administration I have seen in almost 40 years of working in this sector'?

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

Senator Bilyk, as I said to you in answer to your primary question, I am unfamiliar with Mr Lynch's remarks and I am unfamiliar with Mr Lynch. I know that there are a variety of views expressed—sometimes very strenuously expressed—by participants in the arts sector. But you are asking me to comment on to acquaint you with the Prime Minister's thoughts on some remarks with which I am not familiar.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to assist the Minister representing the Prime Minister with the last question to table the Financial Review article that this question refers to in which Mr Lynch makes the comments in question.

Leave not granted.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Somehow I am not surprised. Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the Prime Minister now act upon Mr Lynch's call to restore the funding to the Australia Council?

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

Senator Bilyk, I do think that this question really ought to have been directed to the minister with responsibility, Senator Fifield. As I have said to you twice now, I am not familiar with Mr Lynch and I am not familiar with this remarks.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They are in front of you.

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

Your leader has been kind enough to pass across the table to me an extract from the Financial Review. As I said to you, there are a variety of views held—sometimes passionately held—within this sector.