Labor safely secured a second term and a majority government after a landslide election over the weekend. Attention now turns to Cabinet reshuffles and portfolio trades. It is unknown if Arts Minister Tony Burke will keep his portfolio in the second term, but his recent contribution to ArtsHub reveals some of what Australians can expect.
The Australian Government launched Revive in January 2023, representing Australia’s first cultural policy in a decade. Revive brought funding back to Creative Australia, the federal arts body previously known as the Australia Council for the Arts. According to the Government, Creative Australia has delivered on 66 actions in a little under two years. Some undertakings have yet to be established, such as the dedicated national body, Writers Australia, expected later in 2025.
One of Burke’s key election promises was more investment in live Australian music, directly responding to continued pressure from dynamic ticketing, touring international acts and a floundering festival sector. Burke told ArtsHub a re-elected Labor Government would deliver an additional $25 million over the next two years to the Revive Live program to assist the industry.
Burke also told ArtsHub the Labor Government would commit to providing the funds to restore the South Melbourne Town Hall. Prime Minister Albanese’s Government also made an election promise of $250,000 to assist the country’s LGBTQIA+ media organisation and radio station JOY Media (broadcasting on 94.9FM). Apart from this, specific promises and commitments were minimal for the arts portfolio in the lead-up to the national election.
In the short term, the call from National Advocates for Arts Education to launch an enquiry into Arts Education in Australia may be on the Government’s radar.
Read in ScreenHub: Australian stories silenced as govt ponders local content quotas for streaming giants
Quotas of local content for streaming services went noticeably undelivered in the Government’s first term. Burke assured ArtsHub, however, that the issue will remain a focus for the party’s second term in office.
