Grievance Debate

Arts Sector

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (15:08): The arts sector in South Australia still hangs in a state of limbo 14 months after Steven Marshall came to power promising the world to arts.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order: the member for Badcoe should be aware that it is disorderly to refer to a member of this house by their name. It is, in fact, appropriate to refer to their electorate to prevent quarrels.

The SPEAKER: Yes, and prevent quarrels I will. The member for Badcoe has the call.

Ms STINSON: As I said, the arts sector in South Australia still hangs in a state of limbo 14 months after the Premier and arts minister came to power, promising the world to arts. Little more has been seen from him than a velvet smoking jacket and a glass of champagne while he peers over clear-rimmed glasses. It is great to see the Premier when he comes to the occasional festival opening or exhibition launch, but his speeches—

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir: I think it is utterly disorderly to refer to someone's clear-rimmed glasses in a negative sense, especially when talking about the arts sector.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education can leave for half an hour for a bogus point of order.

The honourable member for Morialta having withdrawn from the chamber:

Mr Duluk interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Waite can leave for half an hour.

The honourable member for Waite having withdrawn from the chamber:

Ms STINSON: He is jealous that no-one is talking about his lovely glasses, but I am sure that we are all very happy with his lovely glasses as well. They are lovely. It is great to see the Premier when he comes to the occasional festival opening or exhibition launch, but his speeches are starting to sound fairly hollow and much the same as the last one. That is because there is precious little being done in the arts.

There was a fairly detailed plan for the arts among the Liberals' election promises—about as detailed as it gets. Chief among the promises was an arts plan. It was billed as the state's first strategy in 20 years, but it might just take 20 years before we see it. For 14 months now, the sector has been told to hold on and wait for the arts plan and that all will be harmonious once there is an arts plan. The consultants' report was delivered a month ago. Most people in the sector were led to believe that it would be released publicly straightaway.

There are high hopes that there will be funding associated with the plan, particularly to make up for the severe cuts that have been imposed by this government on the arts sector in not one but now two budgets. When the Premier took the arts portfolio, there were expectations that the arts would receive special attention, and they have, but not the kind of attention that anyone wants. Last year, cuts of almost $32 million were announced, sweeping across the sector. In this year's budget, those cuts go even deeper.

This time, children's arts organisations are among those in the firing line, with $1.9 million being stripped from the Windmill Theatre Co., Carclew youth arts and the History Trust of South Australia, which operates the Maritime Museum, the Migration Museum and the National Motor Museum. Last year, when these organisations had it sprung on them that they were being ripped out of Arts SA and shipped over to Education, they were assured that this move would protect them from the broader cuts to the arts sector. Clearly, that was not true.

We do not know yet how those cuts will be reflected, but job cuts, cutting shows, limiting touring and cutting back on education and community engagement are on the table for the three organisations. Once again, you just cannot trust the Premier. The targeting of these cuts really defies belief and the Liberals' own stated objectives. We hear from them that they want to push international trade to take South Australia to the world and bring the world to us, yet arguably one of our most successful arts exports, the Windmill Theatre Co., is among those to have its funding cut back.

Right now, the Windmill team are getting ready to open their incredibly successful show Baba Yaga in mainland China. Next, it heads to Taiwan. After that, it will head to Kristiansand and coincide with a major children's arts summit in Norway, and then it is off to Ireland and the UK. They are also launching their show Beep in Perth later this year. If that is not taking it to the world, I do not know what is. Windmill is a shining light in the arts sector, and it does not deserve to have its light dimmed by these budget cuts.

It is little wonder that this theatre company is prized in our national arts scene. It was a joy to see the company's name in lights at the recent Helpmann Awards in Melbourne, nominated for Best Presentation for Children and Young People. Windmill was there along with scores of other South Australia-based creatives who were acclaimed for their innovative and electrifying work this year. South Australia really does punch above its weight.

But even interstate at the Helpmann Awards, people were asking, 'Where is this arts plan?' I was asked by expat South Aussies and east coast arts leaders, 'Where is this plan? Is this all a bit of spin and PR? Will it actually achieve anything?' and the big one, 'Will there be any money with it?' Of course, it is very strange to slash an arts budget not once but twice before you have even come up with a strategy for the arts. Please, Mr Premier, instead of just rocking up to the occasional opening night, come with something to say.

Time expired.