The Howard Government’s 2004 Budget has not delivered a single new initiative in the Arts, choosing instead to refund and redeliver existing programs and ignore many of the systemic problems facing the sector.
While Labor welcomes the extension of the Educational Lending Rights Scheme, the Art Indemnity programme, and the Regional Arts fund, the Howard Government has left the increase of funding to the Playing Australia Program well short of expectations.
After 7 years of doing nothing, the Howard Government has only provided $2 million extra to the program – the only program which ensures that regional and rural Australia have access to Australia’s best performing Arts through provision of grants for costs associated with touring to these areas.
Because Playing Australia funding has not been increased since 1997, there has been intense lobbying from the sector and the community for a doubling of the program which would have brought the figure closer to $7.3 million.
Provision of extra funding to the National Library of Australia – at $9.9 million over four years is welcomed, this so called ‘increase’ is set against nearly $8 million worth of cuts to our National Institutions in last years budget, resulting in 31 job losses.
The Howard Government has not provided any significant increase to funding for any section of the cultural sector, which includes our National Cultural Institutions and the Film and Television Sector.
With one third of practising Australian Artists living in poverty, unable to earn a living wage from their profession, and an already struggling Film and Television industry which is facing an uncertain future in the wake of the Australian United States Free Trade Agreement, the arts sector has very little to be happy about in this budget.
The Howard Government has failed to deliver any glimmer of hope or vision for Australia’s cultural future and the valuable contribution made by Australian Artists to our cultural and social fabric has once again been blatantly disregarded.
Contact: Adina Cirson – (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
