Arts Minister Rod Kemp has given an unprecedented funding instructions to the Australia Council to allocate half of the additional funding received in the Budget to a single recipient – The Melba Foundation for the promotion of Australian operatic performers through its record label – Melba Records.
It was revealed in Senate Estimates today that this organisation did not even make an application to the Australia Council and the Minister did not consult the Australia Council on whether $5 million worth of funding should in fact be of benefit to the music industry.
Whilst this project may be meritorious, the Minister was not able to identify the process by which its merits were assessed.
The Minister also refused to say whether he has been instructed by the Treasurer to grant the funding to the Melba Foundation and became extremely defensive when questioned about the rationale behind the decision, resorting to testimonial from supporters of the Melba Foundation.
This situation raises serious questions about the Minister chose to instruct the Australia Council to allocate funds to an individual organisation, particularly when the Minister has the means of doing this through the Arts Department’s Cultural Development Program.
While Labor is of course supportive of increased funding to the Arts, it is noteworthy that the Music Board of the Australia Council only receives approximately $3.5 million to make available to the music sector, making this grant look disproportionately generous in the context of the offer of funding for music generally.
Ironically, only half of the allocated $10 million over 5 years has been allocated to the Small to Medium arts organisation sector – and this must be shared in order to assist in the expansion of international markets for Australian Artists.
The compromising situation that the Australia Council has been placed in is unacceptable and threatens the very integrity and arms- length independence that embodies the Australia Council’s charter.
This is yet another Howard Government attack on the independence of cultural independence in Australia.
Contact: Adina Cirson – (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
