Page 4109 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 26 November 2014

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mechanism. That is hardly policy development. And that is clearly an expression of the low regard that the Gallagher government has for the arts community and the inability of the minister to deliver anything.

I went on:

So the only policy we have inside the arts policy framework is the funding guidelines? Is that what you are saying?

The official said:

You are asking for documentation to be tabled, and I am providing you with an option where we can provide that …

An option where they can provide the funding guideline? This is appalling. Minister Burch later went on to say:

We have been very clear in the arts policy framework that it is the driver of arts activity.

How would you know if it is or not? How would you know what is being driven if you have no goals and you have no outcomes? These are just simple measurements as to what value for money the community is getting for the artwork.

The minister went on to say:

If you want us to be able to table something on an A4 piece of paper …

I said:

I would have expected something far more significant than an A4 piece of paper.

The minister went on:

You can keep on searching; you can keep on asking.

Then she said:

We are comfortable with the framework …

Very comfortable? This is a very relaxed and comfortable minister. The arts community are not so comfortable. They are astounded at the lack of direction. They are astounded at the lack of arts. They are coming to me and they are saying, “Where’s the review?” We will get to the review in a minute.

I went on to say:

You have said that there is good participation. Has that met the outcomes and the goals that were developed under the framework, and can you please table those goals?

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