SCOTT MORRISON ABOLISHES THE ARTS DEPARTMENT

The Liberal attacks on Australia’s arts sector appear set to worsen following Scott Morrison’s appalling decision to abolish the department responsible for arts policy and funding.

Under Morrison’s public sector restructure, federal arts policy will be subsumed by the new Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications – leaving no department with arts in the title. It’s hard to see this as anything other than a downgrade to arts policy.

Australia’s artists, actors, filmmakers, writers, musicians and broader creative community has every right to be concerned by this decision – apparently made without any consultation with the sector.

And it’s not just the people who make their living from our creative industries who should be worried.
 
It’s every member of the public who enjoys seeing Australian stories on the screen or stage, enjoys reading Australian stories on the page, or enjoys hearing live or recorded Australian music.

But this is not just about Australian culture and identity. Our cultural and creative industries contribute upwards of $100 billion to the economy a year – and deserve to be supported by our federal politicians.

Given the Liberals’ shocking record of cutting arts funding, this move is a terrible sign of what’s to come.

Morrison must explain how rolling arts policy into the department responsible for roads and railways can possibly be a good thing. And he must reveal how many arts employees will be culled in this merger.

Even the outgoing head of the soon-to-be-former Department of Communications and the Arts, Mike Mrdak, says he and his team were not consulted about this shocking and short-sighted change.

The government of Australia should back Australian culture. This lot doesn’t.