The Hon Rod Kemp was Minister for the Arts and Sport from Friday 23 November 2001 to Tuesday 30 January 2007. This site is available for archival purposes only.
LUNDY TO CUT FUNDING TO AUSTRALIA COUNCIL PROGRAMS
With just two days of the 2004 election campaign remaining, the Labor Party has finally released an attempt at a comprehensive arts policy. This document is heavy on rhetoric and light on action and detail.
Senator Lundy has once again failed to deliver for the arts community.
The Labor Party apparently has never heard of the Australia Council. As the Labor Party has not made any commitments in relation to the Australia Council, this means that, under a Labor Government, the 'noise' youth arts festivals would cease, and the Young & Emerging Artists and the Books Alive programs will not receive ongoing funding.
Despite the fact that Canberra is home to key national cultural institutions and despite repeatedly making false claims that the Coalition has cut funding to the national cultural institutions, Senator for the ACT, Kate Lundy, has failed to provide any additional funding to the Canberra based national cultural institutions.
Senator Lundy is effectively abolishing the National Portrait Gallery. The Coalition has committed $56 million to a dedicated National Portrait Gallery building.
Senator Lundy is providing no additional money to the National Museum of Australia. The Coalition delivers an additional $13.7 million over 5 years.
Senator Lundy is providing no additional money to ScreenSound. The Coalition delivers to ScreenSound a significant increase of $2.3 million per year.
Senator Lundy should re-visit her failed policy. She is suffering from merger-mania, and should abandon the foolish proposals to merge the National Portrait Gallery with the National Gallery of Australia, Old Parliament House with the National Museum of Australia, and the national touring programs. These mergers will only create new boards for old Labor mates.
Senator Lundy is vague on where the money is coming from for her programs, but has announced that she will reallocate funding from the Cultural Development Program, which is currently fully allocated, including to the national training institutions. So which programs does Senator Lundy intend to cut?
MELBOURNE
7 October 2004
Media contact: Adrian Chippindale, 02 6277 7350 or 0407 208 743