A group of arts organisations is calling on parliament to examine the $105m budget cut to the Australia Council that will be funnelled into a ministerial excellence program.
The group includes Arts Access Australia, the Australian Society of Authors, the Australian Directors Guild, National Writers’ Centre Network members and PEN Sydney.
The new national program for excellence in the arts will be run from the arts ministry within the attorney general’s department, with ultimate oversight falling to minister George Brandis, in a move the sector fears will damage the Australia Council’s brand.
“Senator Brandis has failed to provide anything other than anecdotal evidence to justify his actions,” the arts groups said.
Critics of Brandis’ budget decision fear that the move away from the principle of arms-length funding will lead to money being awarded through ministerial discretion rather than by a politically independent body such as the Australia Council.
