Repairing the Abbott-Turnbull damage to the arts and creative sector
As the party of the arts from the Whitlam years until the present day, Labor knows it is critical to support Australia’s creative industries and sector.
Speaking after the launch of Labor’s new arts policy, shadow arts minister Mark Dreyfus highlighted how much damage has been caused by the “slush-fund” under George Brandis and the Abbott-Turnbull government.
“After all of the damage that’s been done by the Abbott-Turnbull government.”
“It’s great to be here at the launch of the Australian Labor Party’s arts policy which we’ve just done a few minutes ago in the Malthouse,” Dreyfus said.
“It’s a comprehensive set of measures designed to put us back on the path of repair for the arts community.
“Put us on the path of repair after all of the damage that’s been done by the Abbott-Turnbull government since the 2014 Budget,” he added.
“Labor is committed to ensuring the arts can flourish in our country.”
Unlike George Brandis who strips the Australia Council for his own slush-fund, and Malcolm Turnbull who professes a love for the arts while slashing its funding with abandon, Labor has arts at its heart.
“Labor is committed to ensuring the arts can flourish in our country and it is exactly the same as past Labor governments,” said the shadow minister.
“For more than four decades, Labor has been committed to nurturing the arts and culture in our country.
“Labor is the Party of the arts.”
“We have recommitted again today to use Creative Australia, the cultural policy that we worked on so hard in the last Labor government as the starting point for arts policy in a Shorten Labor government.
“We are making very clear commitments to return funding to the Australia Council which is going to again take pride of place, with independence, as the premier body in the Australian arts.
“Labor is the party of the arts,” Dreyfus added.
