2004-10-11
Australian Elections: Stalemate on election pledges
The arts policies of the major parties appear to cancel each other out rather than break any new ground.
The big Budget items of arts are museums and galleries, the Australia Council and film funding. These take annual federal government grants in the order of $100 million each.
Of the three, only film comes under close scrutiny, with both parties promising to boost funding to the Film Finance Corporation, which last year received $58 million to invest in Australian films.
The ALP hands out an extra $50 million this year, the Liberals $35 million over four years. Both parties promise to boost other parts of the film industry, too.
The extra money is badly needed, says Adelaide film-maker Mario Andreacchio. He points out that the FFC has less funding today than 12 years ago.
"When you look back at that time, the film industry has increased in size and its budgets quadrupled," he says.
Liberals promise a new $56 million home for the National Portrait Gallery, while Labor says the NPG will be brought under the control of the National Gallery of Australia. The Liberals will continue funding Books Alive, presumably to make up for the GST taxing books for the first time in Australia's history. They also will continue to support the problematic, multi-media Noise youth arts festival.
Most of the rhetoric, but less of the money, has gone to regional arts.
Liberals give Festivals Australia an extra $500,000 for one-month regional residencies to arts companies.
Labor wraps up the regional arts touring programs, and adds new cultural celebrations and contemporary music arms.
It also boosts regional arts funding at the community level by several million dollars.
© The Advertiser
Of the three, only film comes under close scrutiny, with both parties promising to boost funding to the Film Finance Corporation, which last year received $58 million to invest in Australian films.
The ALP hands out an extra $50 million this year, the Liberals $35 million over four years. Both parties promise to boost other parts of the film industry, too.
The extra money is badly needed, says Adelaide film-maker Mario Andreacchio. He points out that the FFC has less funding today than 12 years ago.
"When you look back at that time, the film industry has increased in size and its budgets quadrupled," he says.
Liberals promise a new $56 million home for the National Portrait Gallery, while Labor says the NPG will be brought under the control of the National Gallery of Australia. The Liberals will continue funding Books Alive, presumably to make up for the GST taxing books for the first time in Australia's history. They also will continue to support the problematic, multi-media Noise youth arts festival.
Most of the rhetoric, but less of the money, has gone to regional arts.
Liberals give Festivals Australia an extra $500,000 for one-month regional residencies to arts companies.
Labor wraps up the regional arts touring programs, and adds new cultural celebrations and contemporary music arms.
It also boosts regional arts funding at the community level by several million dollars.
© The Advertiser
by Tim Lloyd, The Advertiser - Oct 6, 2004
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