❓ Mr. Carey questions the Minister for Culture and the Arts regarding federal government support for WA's creative industries. The Minister highlights unfair funding discrepancies, particularly for major performing arts organisations, and calls for increased federal funding to achieve parity with other states.
AnsweredQoN 675Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CULTURE AND THE ARTS —
FUNDING
675. Mr J.N. CAREY to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to growing WA's creative industries and
jobs across the local arts sector. Can the minister advise the house whether
the state is being supported by the federal government in delivering this
commitment; and, if not, how is WA not receiving its fair share?
FUNDING
675. Mr J.N. CAREY to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to growing WA's creative industries and
jobs across the local arts sector. Can the minister advise the house whether
the state is being supported by the federal government in delivering this
commitment; and, if not, how is WA not receiving its fair share?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Perth for his
continued interest in culture and the arts, particularly the creative
industries.
The creative industries is a rapidly
growing aspect of the Western Australian and Australian economies, and it will
continue to grow. It needs to be supported strongly by all levels of
government, but particularly, of course, the federal and state governments. The
member has asked a question that is very important because since 2001 we have
had, in my view, an outdated formula for funding from the federal government,
particularly with regard to what are known as the major performing arts
organisations under the major performing arts framework, and it is effectively
unfair. The weighting in favour of other states, particularly New South Wales
and Victoria, is stark. Because the member has asked, I would like to give a few
comparisons. In terms of the MPA framework—the major performing arts
framework—for every dollar invested in our state's major opera,
dance and theatre companies, the federal government invests only 28 cents,
compared with $3.89 for New South Wales and $1.79 for Victoria. To make this
even clearer, New South Wales needs to spend only $11.7 million of its own
money for 10 major performing arts companies, while Western Australia
contributes $9 million for its four major performing arts companies. What does
this mean? It simply means that it is now an outdated methodology.
When I went to the cultural ministers'
meeting in Canberra at the end of last week, I highlighted the discrepancies
and called on the federal government to be much fairer in terms of distribution
and, indeed, recognise that this unfair treatment of Western Australia in
particular must be remedied. I have asked—or demanded, basically—that
we need an increase of $3.6 million from the federal government just to bring
us up to a comparative level with the other states.
It is so important that members in
this place understand the contribution that cultural and arts activities and
the cultural industry make to the Western Australian economy. The McGowan
government is very proudly investing heavily in those creative industries,
including of course contemporary music and other areas, and we will continue to
do so. But it is time that the federal government and the federal arts minister
recognised the discrepancies in a formula that is now outdated and needs to be
adjusted. Western Australia is not asking to take money from other states; it
is simply asking for us to be treated fairly and to receive appropriate funding
to allow our major performing arts organisations to continue to do the
tremendous job they do in our community.
continued interest in culture and the arts, particularly the creative
industries.
The creative industries is a rapidly
growing aspect of the Western Australian and Australian economies, and it will
continue to grow. It needs to be supported strongly by all levels of
government, but particularly, of course, the federal and state governments. The
member has asked a question that is very important because since 2001 we have
had, in my view, an outdated formula for funding from the federal government,
particularly with regard to what are known as the major performing arts
organisations under the major performing arts framework, and it is effectively
unfair. The weighting in favour of other states, particularly New South Wales
and Victoria, is stark. Because the member has asked, I would like to give a few
comparisons. In terms of the MPA framework—the major performing arts
framework—for every dollar invested in our state's major opera,
dance and theatre companies, the federal government invests only 28 cents,
compared with $3.89 for New South Wales and $1.79 for Victoria. To make this
even clearer, New South Wales needs to spend only $11.7 million of its own
money for 10 major performing arts companies, while Western Australia
contributes $9 million for its four major performing arts companies. What does
this mean? It simply means that it is now an outdated methodology.
When I went to the cultural ministers'
meeting in Canberra at the end of last week, I highlighted the discrepancies
and called on the federal government to be much fairer in terms of distribution
and, indeed, recognise that this unfair treatment of Western Australia in
particular must be remedied. I have asked—or demanded, basically—that
we need an increase of $3.6 million from the federal government just to bring
us up to a comparative level with the other states.
It is so important that members in
this place understand the contribution that cultural and arts activities and
the cultural industry make to the Western Australian economy. The McGowan
government is very proudly investing heavily in those creative industries,
including of course contemporary music and other areas, and we will continue to
do so. But it is time that the federal government and the federal arts minister
recognised the discrepancies in a formula that is now outdated and needs to be
adjusted. Western Australia is not asking to take money from other states; it
is simply asking for us to be treated fairly and to receive appropriate funding
to allow our major performing arts organisations to continue to do the
tremendous job they do in our community.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.