28 August 2003 - Media Release

National Museum faces further destabilisation

The Howard Government’s cultural war and its sabotage of the National Museum, has today taken a new twist.

A Freedom of Information request by the Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that deep divisions exist within the Museum’s council and that supporters of the current Director, Dawn Casey, are being ignored by the Howard Government.

It is deeply disconcerting that highly respected council members such as Cathy Santamaria, who are overwhelmingly supportive of Ms Casey, have had their advice deliberately ignored.

The National Museum has benefited greatly from the expertise and vision of Ms Casey during her time as Director and it is disgraceful that the Coalition is using political board appointees as foot soldiers in their cultural war.

Political appointees to our Cultural Institution boards such as Dr Philip Jones - a possible replacement for Ms Casey - can only serve to further diminish the independence of our institutions generally and the National Museum specifically.

Dr Jones’ role in arguing that secret women’s business was a fabrication in the Hindmarsh Island dispute ensures his appointment to the Museum would be controversial and interpreted as consistent with the Coalition’s censorial approach to indigenous culture and history in this country.

Ms Casey’s professional independence has obviously not suited the Howard Government’s opinion of how Australian history should be portrayed. As a result of the Prime Minister’s Museum Review, we know that the Coalition wants to ‘Whitewash’ or exclude stories of Indigenous and migrant history and culture from existing exhibitions.

Censorship of our national institutions and, indeed, the boards which are meant to govern them cannot continue. It is imperative that their independence be maintained.

Media contact: Adina Cirson ‑ (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295

27 August 2003 - Media Release

Labor will do more for ACT University Students

Canberra university students would be better off under a Federal Labor Government to the tune of $18 million, ACT Senator Kate Lundy said today.

Speaking today at the Australian National University’s National Day of Action Rally, Senator Lundy announced that a Crean Labor Government would provide an extra $312 million in additional funding across Australia’s tertiary education system as just one of the measures in the Aim Higher Higher Education Policy.

This would mean that ACT universities would get more – the ANU would receive an extra $14 million, the University of Canberra, $4 million.

“This package will begin to reverse the Howard Government’s disgraceful record of under-funding our universities,” Senator Lundy said.

“The Howard Government has cut $5 billion from Australian universities since 1996, including over $190 million from the ANU and the University of Canberra.

“The ratio of students to teaching staff has also increased under the Howard Government – blown out by over 24 per cent in the ACT between 1996 and 2002.”

Other sources of new funding that will benefit ACT universities under Labor’s $2.34 billion Aim Higher package include:

“It is time for students and the broader ACT community to reject the Howard Government’s inequitable and unfair treatment of Higher Education in Australia, and embrace Labor’s alternative,” Senator Lundy concluded.

Media contact: Jason Ives – (02) 6277 3334 or 0411 237 683

13 August 2003 - Media Release

Industry body joins Labor's call for ICT industry action

In its response to the Coalition's failed "Framework for the Future" Report, the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has supported some of Labor's criticisms of the Howard Government's information and communications technology policies.

In particular, the AIIA calls for an extension to the Building on IT Strengths (BITS), business incubator program, and the reform of Government procurement practices.

Labor has previously argued for the retention of the incubator program. The Coalition is conducting a review of the BITS incubators, but has so far ruled out extending funding to this initiative.

Labor exposed how the Howard Government's ICT procurement policies have been disastrous for Australia's ICT industry, including the debacle of the IT outsourcing program.

The AIIA response also recommends that more effort be made to encourage private sector research and development. It was critical of the Framework for the Future Report in this regard, which, it said, "did not make any recommendations which directly address these vital issues."

Labor knows that R&D, and commercialisation are vital for the strengthening of the ICT sector, and therefore the realisation of the sector's potential for high wage, high skill jobs.

As Chair of the Framework for the Future Committee and Minister for Information Technology, Senator Alston was content to release a lazy document devoid of any new ideas for the ICT industry. The Framework for the Future Report was widely criticised throughout the ICT industry, and sank without a trace.

Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 29

12 August 2003  - Media Release

You may be Minister for the Arts, Senator Kemp, but you can't embroider the truth

Obviously missing the point, Senator Kemp is embroidering the truth when it comes to talking up funding levels of the National Museum of Australia.

For the Minister's benefit, here are the facts:

The Prime Minister himself commissioned a report which warned that if the National Museum was funded insufficiently it would lead to "rapidly declining" visitor numbers and a "significant downgrade" in exhibitions.

As the Minister is fully aware, the Howard Government the chose to fund the National Museum insufficiently - $9 million less than was recommended!

The Museum Director, Dawn Casey, has admitted that this insufficient funding has impacted upon the National Museum, resulting in less exhibitions and reduced visitor numbers and sponsorship to the point where the Museum is only able to hold one major exhibition a year.

The National Museum of Australia has fallen prey to a deliberate act of sabotage by the Coalition Government which threatens its future viability and independence.

The Minister should stop denying there is a problem, and fund the National Museum at an appropriate level.

Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295

10 August 2003 - Media Release

Howard's spiteful sabotage of the National Museum of Australia

A secret report obtained under FOI has exposed that the National Museum of Australia is the latest target in the Howard Government's spiteful and dishonest undercover cultural war.

The secret report exposes the Howard Government's plan to let the Museum slowly bleed to death by knowingly providing funding at unsustainably low levels.

This is an act of deliberate and deceitful sabotage.

This is the fourth instalment in the Howard Government's sneak attacks on the National Museum.

First came the carping, subjective criticisms by Howard appointees to the Board of the Museum about the museum's portrayal of Australia cultural history. Second, the inaugural director, Dawn Casey, had her reappointment unreasonably shortened.

Third, the Howard Government engineered a 'Review' of the National Museum, culminating in a frightening report that has advocated censorship of the museum's exhibits. Finally, this latest secret report shows how focused the Howard Government is on deliberately sabotaging the Museum.

This is a national disgrace.

The National Museum of Australia now has the dubious distinction of formally joining the ABC as a target and victim of the Howard Government's secret war against independent cultural institutions in this country.

Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295

5 August 2003 - Media Release

Grave Concerns For Arts Production

In what will be a huge blow to ABC productions, the Howard Government is cutting $500,000 from documentary production and a further $1.5 million to go from productions already underway.

ABC cuts imposed by the Coalition means job losses in television and documentary production serve as a disincentive to young artists and to the already disillusioned Arts community.

This is just another attack on the Arts community, who are consistently undermined by this Government in terms of employment and opportunities for emerging artists, combined with a general lack of foresight by the Coalition for growing arts and culture in Australia.

Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295

5 August 2003 - Media Release

ABC Sports Coverage Slashed

Women's sport and local sporting events are likely to be hardest hit by  the $530,000 funding cut to live sports coverage on the ABC. 

 The ABC has said that cuts will only affect one-off events coverage, but with ongoing pressure from the Howard Government for the ABC to cut its Budget, sports coverage - especially of women's sport and of local sporting events - in Australia is quickly slipping off the radar.

The Australian Hockey Association has expressed concern that the coverage of events such as Hockey's Women's Champion Trophy to be held in Sydney in November/December this year could be under threat, thanks to the Howard's Government's slash and burn agenda.

Coverage of the South Australian National Football League's (SANFL) Magarey Medal and the Western Australian Football League's (WAFL) Sandover Medal will no longer be covered by the ABC, and broadcast negotiations with other sports are still being conducted. 

The announcements of funding cuts to live sports coverage is sure to make many other sporting organisations nervous that their current agreements will not stand up to the pressure being exerted over the ABC Budget.

The ABC has had a good relationship with Netball and Women's Basketball over the years and, in the face of inexplicable disinterest from the commercial channels, has served a growing audience with quality coverage of women's sporting events.

The Howard Government is hell bent on unleashing its attack dogs on the ABC, and it's an absolute disgrace that the Coalition persists in undermining the important role of the ABC.

 Media contact: Adina Cirson ‑ (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295

4 August 2003 - Media Release

Release of the McLeod Inquiry Report (ACT Bushfires)

In response to the release of the McLeod Report, I again offer my most sincere congratulations and support of Emergency Services personnel, the ACT Police, ACT and NSW Fire Brigades and individual volunteers who rallied together in the face of an extraordinary and unprecedented crisis to help fight the January Bushfires.

In the face of adversity, the Canberra community banded together to get through a devastating tragedy, and I acknowledge the tremendous effort by all involved - not only on the days surrounding the fires and recovery process, but in helping Canberra to strengthen our sense of community.

The Chief Minister has given an open and honest appraisal of the difficult lessons learnt, and has already begun preparing our city and surrounding areas in order to ensure that the devastation we experienced as a community in January will not occur again.

As he did in the days surrounding the tragedy of the January 18 bushfires, the ACT Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, has demonstrated a most humble and inspired approach to the leadership of the ACT Government, committing to implement all 61 recommendations of the McLeod Report.

The Chief Minister is but one person amongst thousands who have made an invaluable contribution at the time of the fires and in the recovery process, be they officials, volunteers or the victims themselves.

Media contact: Adina Cirson - (02) 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295