Why nobody knew: Budget 2015 revelation

The Minister for the Arts has admitted to Senate Estimates that he did not consult anyone in the arts sector before setting up the National Programme for Excellence in the Arts.
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Image by Richard Tadday via trekearth

In testimony before a Senate Estimates hearing yesterday, Arts Minister George Brandis said that he didn’t consult with the Australia Council or any arts organisations before ripping $104 million from the agency in the May budget.

Brandis confirmed that the first person to hear about the massive funding cuts was Australia Council chair, Rupert Myer, just hours before the budget was handed down.

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Ben Eltham
About the Author
Ben Eltham is ArtsHub's industry columnist.