Riverina Candidates Survey

There’s plenty of big ideas being thrown about during this election campaign but what do our Riverina candidates plan to do to support Arts and culture? We pressed each candidate with very specific questions about their (and their party’s) positions.

Analysis

Seven of the 8 Riverina candidates come from political parties, and we note that of these parties, only Labor and the Greens have policy positions in their websites that relate to Arts and Culture at all.

Commendably, the Greens have articulated a range of arts and cultural policies and priorities, and these are currently available on their website for voters to review. Labor are yet to announce their arts and cultural policies but point to their track record in implementing landmark Cultural policies the previous two times they were in Government. It is pleasing to see that Labor’s 2021 Policy platform commits the party to implementing arts and cultural plans and policies when next in government.

We would like to acknowledge independent candidate Darren Ciavarella’s firm commitment to increase the Regional Arts Fund and to support arts and cultural development if elected.

We also recognise the individual passions and commitments of our local candidates. One Nation’s Richard Orchard is a singer and musician, while United Australia Party’s Daniel Martellozzo has revealed his passion for First Nations cultural development in his survey responses.

It is extremely disappointing that the Nationals have not committed to any of the supports for arts and culture we have advocated for in this survey, and equally disappointing that Michael McCormack did not respond specifically to the questions we asked. We have printed in full the response we received from his office and we acknowledge that he has been supportive of many arts and culture projects in his role as the current Member of Parliament for Riverina.

No matter what the outcome of the election, Eastern Riverina Arts will continue to advocate that governments implement clear policies and plans for the Arts and Culture sector. In a modern economy where the arts and Creative Industries employ 6% of the national workforce, it is absolutely essential that both sides of politics outline their plan to grow and support this sector, and provide a yardstick with which we can measure their progress.

We received some impassioned responses from a range of candidates and thank each of them for taking the time to articulate their own passion for arts and culture in the Riverina. You can read them in their entirety below.

The Questions

Question 1: Since 1996, Australia has only had an arts and cultural policy for a few months, implemented in the dying days of the Labor Government in 2013. The recent parliamentary enquiry into the arts sector and Covid gave the recommendation that the Australian Government develop a cultural policy. a) Will your party (or you if independent) support the development of a new cultural policy for Australia? b) If so, should regional priorities be part of such a policy?

Question 2: The Federal Government currently funds the Regional Arts Fund (RAF) which assists regional communities (around $3.6 million a year across regional Australia). Which of the following would you support (and why?):

Question 3: NSW has the largest Aboriginal population in Australia (even though the percentage of the population is not as high as in some places). Of the 98 State-based organisations receiving IVAIS (Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support) funding from the Australian Government, only four are in New South Wales. In what ways would you support the improvement of Federal Government funding to First Nations programs in New South Wales? 

Question 4: Regional Arts Australia has developed a campaign that states: Art Celebrates, Art is Everywhere, Art is Essential. Please comment on how you think this relates to the electorate you are standing in.

Question 5: Regional communities have experienced many challenges: drought, bushfires, mouse plague, floods, even tornados, in addition to Covid. Our arts leaders are frequently called on to show leadership around both recovery and resilience. What do you think government should do to support arts leaders who are helping their communities through difficult times?

Candidate Responses (appearing in order of appearance on the Riverina ballot paper) 

One Nation – Richard Orchard

1.     I will certainly fight for a priority being put on the Arts as an expression of culture as what is given to Sport. I believe in the democratisation of the arts, rather than funding of elite bodies including the ABC. Regional, local, and community based arts groups - theatre, music, painting, writing - the whole spectrum - are excellent ways to get people involved in community, team activities, develop local youth and mature talent not yet discovered, to fight loneliness and isolation, and to improve our quality of life generally across the community.

2.     e) Replacing RAF with a different funding program (if so, please comment)

$3.6 million is absolutely inadequate, if we looked at the funding that sport gets. I would like to find a great deal more money for this essential area of fostering our culture.

3.     This will be a matter of local leadership - where we have a poor uptake like this, you can bet that it has been publicised, waiting for local people to carry out all the application processes, and no one has either seen the advertisement or had the tenacity to go through the process of getting a grant application up. This is essential work of a Local Member's electorate staff- knowing which grants are available, finding out which groups in the community could be recipients, and then working the process through to get the grants applied for and use the authority of the elected member to try to gently lean on granting bodies to fund as many of them as we can get. Please help me if I'm elected with intelligence of advocacy priorities like this.

4.     I am a singer and musician, in a choral and sacred setting. Art is music - organised team music, musical theatre, learning music, performing music, local community clubs performing, so many ways to me. Art is theatre- local theatre groups getting together to put on plays, with the skills from acting, directing, set building, light and sound. Art is writing, poetry, novels, blogs. Art is now video production and film making, the tools are ubiquitous and so easy to use. My son is a budding youtuber (as well as an awesome singer, pianist and organist). Art is painting - a great vehicle for older people to get together in my experience. Art is aboriginal culture - dance, singing, painting, story telling, and is a bridge between cultures that is absolutely underused. Art is textiles, costume, design. Art is marketable and an economic force - digital design, website design, management of social media.

5.     I would like to find a couple of fat elite cows to slaughter - I'm thinking the ABC and SBS, that chew up $1.4billion a year. I want to make them more basic services about news and emergency broadcasting, and then democratise the remaining funding. What local arts, sport, news, film makers, and community language radio/podcasting etc grassroots operators could do with three quarters of a billion of that money would be staggering when compared to what a highly inefficient use is currently made of that. This is not One Nation Policy, but it is something I would fight for. Compared with the pittance of $3.6 million to community arts funds, this would mean we would also get to invest in infrastructure like theatres, galleries, sporting grounds, and some staff to hold these activities together and lead them. Get rid of elites - Labor, Liberal, and put the sacred cow ABC back to regional radio, a tv channel, and get local and community grass roots people empowered to take control of our own lives with proper funding.

Labor – Mark Jeffreson

1.     Labor will announce its Arts policy soon.

Labor has a proud history of support for the arts going back to the Whitlam Government. In government Labor established two landmark cultural policies – Creative Nation under Paul Keating, and Creative Australia under Simon Crean. When the Liberals came to government in 2013, they didn’t replace Labor’s cultural policy with their own cultural policy, they simply abolished it with nothing to replace it.

There is a lot of work to do in this space to rebuild the damage done by nearly a decade of Liberal government. An Albanese Government will honour the legacy Labor holds in government when it comes to the arts, and most importantly, ensuring Australian stories first. A new direction is needed, from a government that will give the arts the support it needs.

2.     Labor recognises the important role played by regional artists and organisations and the enormously valuable contribution they make to Australian stories. Shadow Minister for the Arts Tony Burke has met with several regional arts organisations around the country, most recently in Tasmania. He has spent a lot of time listening to their ideas about the industry from a regional perspective and their personal experiences as artists working in regional Australia, especially during recent and incredibly tough times.

As stated above, Labor will announce its Arts policy soon.

3.     One of Labor’s guiding principles in any Arts policy is Australian stories first. There is nothing more important to that principle than First Nations stories and culture which is the foundation of our nation.

We will have more to say on this should we be elected to government on May 21.

4.     Art has a proud history in the Riverina, and Labor has a proud history of supporting it.
Whether music, theatre, street theatre, pub bands, celebrating arts in the community is in Labor's blood and we will always be front and centre in our support.

5.     There is no doubt that artists, particularly musicians, have always been relied upon by Australian communities to support and provide leadership to help get them through or recover from tragedies, natural disasters, and tough times like the COVID pandemic. Time and time again, Australian artists have supported causes and charities and other events, mostly for free or nominal payments. They have done this willingly, and generously.

Labor therefore understands the disappointment experienced by artists when the Morrison Government was so slow to provide support during the COVID pandemic, especially coming so soon after the catastrophic bushfires of 2019-20, where the arts and entertainment industry once again played an important role in raising funds and supporting local communities.

Labor advocated relentlessly on behalf of the industry throughout the entire period of the pandemic, for example, on behalf of artists who were deliberately excluded from the Jobkeeper program.

Labor is extremely mindful of, and grateful for, the contribution to the national well being played by artists, performers, and support crew. That will always be a major consideration in any future support we provide to the industry.

United Australia Party – Daniel Martelozzo

1.     We are committed to prosperity and quality of life for all Australians. Prosperity is not all about money. Prosperity is also about happiness, health, well-being and fulfilment. Building communities where people can thrive and are able to achieve their potential is vital to our nation’s overall prosperity. For this reason, building on the cultural capital of our region is important. If elected, I would welcome the opportunity to work with the arts sector to develop a policy for the arts that would facilitate practical support to the arts, particularly as the arts have been so heavily impacted by the COVID lockdowns and mandates.

The policies of the United Australia Party have a strong regional focus as we believe our regional communities are the backbone of the nation and we are committed to stimulating economic growth in regional areas. The United Australia Party's 20% zonal tax incentive for people living more than 200kms from their capital city is designed to stimulate regional economies by keeping more money in the pockets of people and local communities and by encouraging people and businesses to move to or settle in regional areas. This will support the arts by providing a greater incentive for regional artists to stay local and an incentive for city based artists and people who work in the arts sector to move to regions - which will in turn build on the cultural capital of regional communities.

One of the most exciting policies of the United Australia Party is to abolish and forgive HECS debts and make Higher Education (TAFE and University) free. We believe this will be another significant way to support students who may wish to dedicate their studies and careers to the arts knowing they will not be burdened by years of debt.

2.     To offer a definitive statement is difficult without a more comprehensive understanding of the funding model and without proper consultation with the various stakeholders. Personally, $3.6 million spread annually across regional Australia for regionally based artists, arts workers and organisations for their professional development and creative arts projects does not seem to be a significant amount of money. If elected, I would want to work with regional arts bodies to gain a better understanding of their vision and plans and review the way funding is determined and distributed.
The United Australia Party's strategy to reduce the massive national debt through a 15% export license on the export of all Australian iron ore will relieve every Australian from the burden of that debt and set up our future. I foresee every sector benefiting from this.

3.     Many First Nations people suffer from generational disadvantage and this should be concerning for all Australians. First Nations people have a deep and rich heritage and generosity of spirit in sharing their heritage with the wider community through song, dance, story and painting. If elected, I would be seeking to identify the rationale behind the decision to support only four state based organisations in NSW. If there are issues identified regarding equity and access to funding, this naturally would need to be addressed. All First Nations communities deserve appropriate levels of support.

4.     Creative and visual arts engage, inspire and enrich the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds and it is in regional communities where one sees this most clearly. Small art galleries in towns, the use of murals on water tanks, the popularity of local art and craft exhibitions, all speaks of a spirit of creativity and imagination woven through every rural community. The Riverina is a region of diverse, natural beauty and extreme climate, which is the source of inspiration for many regional artists whose work offers insights and interpretations of the land which can provoke and extend our own perspectives. We have used art to promote our region, capture memories, and add to the visual appeal of our communities. Artistic expression celebrates and affirms the freedom we enjoy in this nation. We see art showcased in every community and it is essential to the wellbeing & fulfillment of individuals and for the cultural capital of our region.

5.     The establishment of regional cross-disciplinary networks could be encouraged so that leaders in the arts can build productive working relationships with other professionals in community aid agencies; schools; early childhood education, mental health services or government departments that would then enable a coordinated approach to resilience and recovery initiatives.
Workshops for art leaders could be conducted on:
- resilience
- showcasing of initiatives which have been successfully implemented elsewhere which could be adapted to the local context if deemed suitable;
- recovery and resilience plans developed ahead of likely natural disasters;
- the creation of formal accredited courses for art leaders in recovery and resilience.
- government funding & promotion of programs run by art leaders in local communities

People in regional communities naturally pull together during challenging times. Governments role, I believe, would be to facilitate connections between stakeholders and provide funding to support local initiatives.

Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party – Steve Karaitiana

We were unable to contact Mr Karaitiana as his contact details are not listed on the party website and he has no public social media pages.

The Nationals - Michael McCormack

1. The Coalition Government continues to consider the recommendations of the report of the  Parliamentary Committee. 

The Coalition Government is committed to supporting the creative economy as the sector rebuilds  from the effects of the pandemic. The Coalition Government is investing over $1 billion into the arts  and creative sector in 2021-22. This level of funding is unprecedented and exceeds the funding level  that any government has ever provided. 

In response to the pandemic the Government moved quickly to establish the Creative Economy  Taskforce to bring together a breadth of experience across the sector to provide strategic guidance  on ways to grow the economic and job creation contribution of the creative economy, including  building the capacity of the cultural and creative sector and driving collaboration with other sectors;  opportunities for and barriers to cultural and creative sector development, growth and  sustainability; the Government’s investment and support for the cultural sector as the sector  recovers from the pandemic; and measuring and articulating the cultural, social and economic value  of Australia’s creative economy. 

In 2020, the Coalition Government announced $714 million in targeted support for the arts and  entertainment sector. This was made up of $75 million for the Restart Investment to Sustain and  Expand (RISE) Fund, $90 million for the Show Starter loan program, $50m for the Temporary  Interruption Fund and $35 million to the Arts Sustainability Fund; a $400 million boost to the  Location Incentive; $37.8 million to national cultural institutions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19  and $27 million from the COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund. 

In 2021, the Coalition Government announced an additional $270 million in further targeted  support. This included an additional $125 million for the RISE Fund and $30 million to assist the  charity Support Act to provide crisis relief and mental health services. It also consisted of $20 million  for the Supporting Cinemas’ Retention Endurance and Enhancement of Neighbourhoods (SCREEN)  Fund, an extension of the $50 million Temporary Interruption Fund and $5 million for the Playing  Australia Regional Recovery Investment. In addition, $11.4 million was announced to support  regional arts and cultural development tourism experiences, $5 million from the Relief and Recovery  Fund for Indigenous art centres and a further $24 million for the Arts Sustainability Fund. 

In 2022, the Coalition Government announced that the Temporary Interruption Fund would be  extended to 30 June 2022 and $20 million was being provided for one further round of the RISE  Fund. 

The Coalition Government’s Creative Economy Support package now stands at $500 million. All  funding is either delivered or on-track for delivery. 

Whole-of-economy supports have also assisted the arts and entertainment sector during the  pandemic. 

More than $730 million has been provided to the Creative and Performing Arts subdivision of  industry through JobKeeper, and about $119 million provided in cash flow payment to Creative and  Performing Arts organisations. The Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research (BCARR) 

estimates that employees and entities in cultural and creative sectors received $10.7 billion— including $8 billion in JobKeeper payments between April and December 2020, and $2.7 billion in  Boosting Cash Flow for Employers payments to early February 2021. 

The Government’s response package is on top of the investment of around $750 million each year.  through the Arts portfolio through a diverse range of programs and organisations across the visual  arts, performing arts, literature, national collecting institutions, Indigenous arts and languages,  screen, and music. In addition to expenditure measures, the Australian Government provides  significant support through indirect measures, such as the Australian Screen Production Incentive,  the Cultural Gifts Program, and the Register of Cultural Organisations. 

2. The Coalition Government’s focus is to make the arts accessible to all Australians recognises the  importance that arts and culture plays in Regional Australia.  

The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government program that supports sustainable cultural  development in regional and remote communities. Project grants are intended to assist arts and  cultural development projects that meet the objectives and eligibility criteria of the Regional Arts  Fund. The Regional Arts Fund is managed by Regional Arts Australia and delivered in partnership  with organisations in each state and territory. 

The Coalition Government has provided a total of $21.4 million for regional arts including $10 million  additional funding for the Regional Arts Fund which supported a total of 349 projects. $11.4 million  was provided to support arts and cultural development tourism experiences including an additional  $5 million to the Regional Arts Fund for the Cultural Tourism Accelerator Program, and $2.4 million  for the Festivals Australia program. The package also includes new funding of $3 million for the  Culture, Heritage, and Arts Regional Tourism program. 

Culture, Heritage, and Arts Regional Tourism (CHART), which opened on 5 November 2021, is  already helping community museums, galleries, and historical societies to continue to offer  appealing cultural tourism experiences in Australia’s regions. 

CHART is being administered by the Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) during  202122 (an additional $260,000 has been provided for AMaGA to administer CHART). The package  also includes $700,000 in 2021-22 to support the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation and the  Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in the promotion and marketing of these arts experiences and $5 million  to Playing Australia Regional Recovery Investment for the Australia Council to support performing  arts touring in regional and rural communities. 

The Coalition Government wants the arts to be accessible and available to all Australians and the  Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Program has been a powerful way of achieving that.  Under the successful Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand program, 541 projects have been  supported so far and more than fifty percent of these were in regional and remote Australia. The  RISE Fund has created more than 213,000 jobs and stimulated a two-year pipeline of events that will  be seen by around 55 million people across the country.

The Coalition Government has responded to the success of this program with an additional $20  million of funding in the 2022-23 Budget, as part of our plan for a stronger future. 

The Coalition Government established the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand Fund to get  artists back on stage, organisations back on their feet, and audiences back into their favourite local  venues to support Australia’s best and emerging talent. The Government’s $20 million additional  commitment to this unparalleled funding brings the Coalition Government’s Creative Economy  Support Package to $500 million. 

The RISE Funding will be allocated in coming months and a significant number of new projects will be  supported around the country. 

Arts funding by the Coalition Government in 2021-22 stands at more than $1 billion dollars. This is a  record level of funding under any Australian government. 

3. The Coalition Government has provided funding of $12 million to support Indigenous art centres and  Indigenous art fairs in regional and remote Australia, delivered in full through the Indigenous Visual  Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program. IVAIS is the first ever program of this nature supporting more  

than 8000 artists and over 500 arts workers most in very remote indigenous communities to  produce, promote and market indigenous art. 

The Coalition Government continues to assess the eligibility of organisations to be included in the  program. 

On 5 August 2021 the Coalition Government announced an initial investment of $22.8 million to  contribute to Closing the Gap including new investment for funding for 3 new Indigenous language  centres. 

4. Art has been an important way for Australians to celebrate the resilience of the community as  people have faced hardships together. When COVID hit, the creative and cultural industries were  one of the first to be impacted. 

When the Coalition Government designed the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund,  which has now provided 200 million to 541 projects, supporting a 2-year pipeline of events, creating  more than 213,000 job opportunities across Australia, for experiences which approximately 55  million Australians, the Government made a deliberate decision to make regional, remote and outer  suburban communities a priority in the grant guidelines. Over half of these events are taking place in  regional and remote Australia.  

5. The Coalition Government acknowledges the support found through the arts has been vital since the  onset of the pandemic. The role of the sector in supporting mental health and wellbeing; rebuilding  social cohesion by enabling the community to come together and celebrate its achievements; and as  a social record keeper preserving valuable insights into our cultural heritage, social history and  national identity is immeasurable. 

The Government acknowledges the weight of this role can itself take a toll on mental health and  wellbeing on members of the sector. In response to the pandemic the Government provided $30  million to expand the role of the charity Support Act to provide crisis relief and mental health  services to the arts sector as a whole. This supported a free confidential 24/7 mental health helpline,  staffed by professional clinicians familiar with issues faced by the arts sector. 

Independent – Darren Ciavarella 

1.     (A) I will absolutely support the development of a new cultural policy for Australia
(B) Regional priorities should be a part of the new policy, because the regional area's
are the foundation of the nation.

2.     b) Increasing the RAF rate to each state

3.     It's an outrage and insult to have only 4 out of the 98 organisations funded by government, when almost half the aboriginal population are in NSW.
I would strongly support restructuring the current funding model.

4.     There are many outstanding examples of regional art around the Riverina from art on silo's, metal sculptures at Lockhart.
Aboriginal art. Dance,theatre and music.
How ever,more funding could see a renaissance that could take the Riverina to the next level.

5.     As outlined in the above answers,more funding is clearly necessary.
The droughts, bushfires,plagues
and flood's .
Will be the foundation of healing and bringing the community together through art.

Liberal Democrats – Dean McRae 

Candidate did not respond to survey

The Greens – Michael Organ 

1. The Greens Arts and Culture policy is available here: https://greens.org.au/policies/arts-and-culture. In answer to your question, Yes, the Greens will strongly support the development of a new cultural policy for Australia. They will also offer to take the lead in the development of such a policy, or suite of policies. In answer to part b) of your question - Yes, the policy / policies will be decentralised and inclusive of all Australians, with regional priorities a natural part of an holistic approach. The regions are such an important part of art and culture within Australia. They always have been, and will continue to be into the future as they are a part of what Australia is.

2. b) Increasing the RAF rate to each state

3. The current RAF funding is woefully inadequate. The amount of funding should be increased and a review of the program instigated to identify strengths and weaknesses and determine if an different funding program is need to replace or supplement it.

4. Art is indeed everywhere because it is an important element of the lives of so many Australian, whether they be artists or participants in the arts. Such ubiquitousness needs to be promoted and recognised by government. Also, the value to society of the arts needs to be clearly stated in order for a greater part of community to get behind government funding of the arts. With the recent attacks on arts and cultural program funding by the presence government, and the negative impacts of COVID to the sector, there is an urgent need to redress the recent mistakes and get the arts back on track, in order to help all Australians to recover from the COVID pandemic and to restore the careers of artist throughout Australia.

5. Government should increase funding across the board to the Arts sector, recognising that it is a significant part of both our cultural and economic welfare. The abysmal treatment of the sector during COVID, and recent cuts to Arts funding by the Morrison government show just how little the sector is appreciated by the Liberal and National parties. We need a new government, with the Greens in the balance of power. Then, and only then, will we see changes in not only what the government should do, but what they actually do do.