Last week, the Federal Government announced their decision to axe the Department of Arts, as part of Scott Morrison’s plan to cut the number of federal departments from 18 to 14 to “bust bureaucratic congestion”.
On The Sunday Project, comedian, director and musician Tim Minchin condemned the Prime Minister’s move, labeling it as “really scary”.
“It is in an indicator that they don’t think it’s important, obviously,” Minchin told the panel.
“I have no doubt that they don’t have any understanding of the financial, cultural and trickle down value of arts in this country.”
Watch: Tim Minchin on The Sunday Project talks about Scott Morrison’s plan to axe the Department of Arts. Post continues below.
The arts department will be merged with infrastructure, under the new name Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications – meaning the same department dealing with arts will also be dealing with roads. The departure of arts has sparked nationwide concern that significant cuts to the sector will follow.
“Honestly, the difference between a good, functioning democracy and not is art,” Minchin continued.
He added that it is “very hard to measure the impact of a well-funded arts culture, and when it’s not easy to measure, people like this government just are not interested.”
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Next step for this government: Declare that only approved art will be allowed.
Well it doesn't actually say anywhere that the Arts would be losing funding. You never know, if they waste less money on bureaucracy there might actually be a little more money for actual funding?