The arts are a national asset
They're not dying - they're being neglected
There’s a stubborn myth in Australian political life that I is bullshit —that Australians aren’t interested in the arts. That we’re a “sporting nation,” and that live entertainment, literature, and culture are niche interests best left to inner-city elites with $100 spare for the ballet.
It’s convenient. It excuses a lack of funding. It lets politicians shrug and move on. But it’s wrong.
Because if you create something that’s compelling, truly resonant with Australians, we turn up. In droves. Again and again.
I’m surrounded by world-class artists who can’t get work. People with decades of experience, national awards, and international residencies. Actors, directors, writers, musicians, producers—people who work harder than most I’ve ever met. Right now, they’re struggling. And I don’t think the blame can sit on "market demand." It lies squarely with our political leadership.
Look abroad - what happens when governments care
When Hollywood took shape in the early 20th century, it did so with the support of US government war propaganda contracts and later, tax incentives and federal funding through programs like the NEA.
Bollywood was boosted in the 1950s and '60s by India's post-colonial nation-building efforts, with active government support for film production and state-backed studios.
K-pop? It didn’t just appear. In 1998, South Korea's government created the Basic Law for Cultural Industry Promotion, investing millions into pop culture exports as part of a soft power strategy. In just two decades, they created a cultural behemoth. The return? Massive. Tourism, trade, and international visibility. It brings in roughly $15 billion into South Korea.
These countries didn’t wait around for "the market" to work it out. They led.
Australia Had a Moment—Then Dropped the Ball
In the late '80s and '90s, Australia almost got it. Expo ’88. The Sydney Olympics. A wave of international Aussie stars: Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman. Our writers made global bestseller lists: Peter Carey, Tim Winton, Morris Gleitzman, Mem Fox, Bryce Courtney. Silverchair, Powderfinger, Natalie Imbruglia, INXS, The Whitlams, Kylie Minogue took over the airwaves. There was a genuine swell of belief that Australia could shape global culture.
But that momentum wasn't sustained.
The Howard government ignored the sector’s potential. The Rudd–Gillard years got bogged down in distractions. And then came the long drought: Abbott, Turnbull, Morrison. All offered little to no meaningful investment.
And then, infamously, George Brandis. As Arts Minister, Brandis gutted the Australia Council and diverted funds to his own "National Program for Excellence in the Arts"—a move that devastated the small-to-medium arts sector. Organisations collapsed. Artists fled the industry. The damage is still being felt.
Now, Creative Australia is trying to rebuild. But the bar is so low, we’re being asked to be grateful just for getting back what we lost. That’s not vision. That’s damage control.
We Need More Than a Reset. We Need Imagination.
We’re in a so-called economic crisis, facing uncertain futures in mining and gas. The live music sector is being strangled by international ticketing conglomerates. Independent publishing is consolidating to survive - three companies have consolidated in six months. Creative arts courses are being axed or squeezed out of universities (QUT just cut its dance major and is moving away from stage acting). And the Olympics are coming in 2032.
Where is the meaningful, real, inspirational cultural strategy?
This country needs leadership that sees arts and culture not as elite indulgence, but as a national asset. As tourism, export, innovation, and identity. As essential. We made Bluey in this climate - currently the most popular television show on planet Earth. What do you think we could do if we had some real, actual investment?
We can produce television, books, performance, and music that astonish the world—if our leaders have the guts and imagination to support it.
But right now? Neither major party is showing that kind of vision. And frankly, most independents aren’t either.
This election, the arts deserve more than a footnote. I want policy. Ambition. A big part of Australia’s future is our culture. And we can’t afford to ignore it for another term.