MEDIA RELEASE: LABOR’S PLAN FOR AUSTRALIA’S CREATIVE ECONOMY

BILL SHORTEN MP 
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION 
 
MICHELLE ROWLAND MP 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS 
  
TONY BURKE MP 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS 
 
KIM CARR MP 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INNOVATION, INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESEARCH 
 
STEPHEN JONES MP  
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS  
  
ED HUSIC MP 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE DIGITAL ECONOMY 
  
TERRI BUTLER MP 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS AND YOUTH AFFAIRS 
SHADOW MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION AND FUTURE OF WORK 
 
SENATOR PAT DODSON 
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS AND ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS 
  
LABOR’S PLAN FOR AUSTRALIA’S CREATIVE ECONOMY 
  

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $85 million to boost Australia’s creative industries – supporting more jobs and more investment across our growing creative economy.  
 
This election will be a choice between a united Shorten Labor Government which will grow jobs in our creative industries, or more of the Liberals’ cuts and chaos. 
  
Australia’s creative industries are world-class – but more investment is needed to ensure that local industries get the investment they need to compete on the rapidly changing world stage. 
  
The creative economy includes services across music and performing arts; web and software design; gaming; film and broadcasting; publishing and visual arts; architecture and design. 
 
Creative skills are the backbone of many fast-growing industries, and creative employment includes employment in the creative industries, as well as creative jobs embedded outside the creative industries in the wider economy. 
  
As the trend to automation continues, the demand for creative skills is expected to increase, so understanding the role and influence of the creative industries will be critical to positioning Australia to benefit fully from new technologies and sources of growth. 
  
That is why Labor will invest $85 million in Australia’s Creative Economy to support start-ups, small and medium sized businesses and attract international investment to create the skilled jobs of the future in Australia’s creative industries. 
  
Labor’s investment will include new investments of: 
 

  • $60 million into the ABC and SBS for Australian screen content. 

  • $25 million to reinstate the Australian Interactive Games Fund. 

 
After six years of Liberal cuts and policy inertia, only a Labor Government will advance Australia’s Creative Economy. 
  
Our creative industries have huge potential to deliver significant economic, employment, creative, cultural and other benefits for Australia and the world. 
  
But there are worrying signs that our local sectors are missing out on the global expansion in the creative industries, which are projected to grow exponentially. 
  
The Liberals have undermined and stalled Australia’s progress as a Creative Economy at every turn. 
  
Under the Liberals, we have a copper broadband network that costs more and does less, our policy and regulatory frameworks have fallen out of date and key programs and services have been cut, including the ABC, SBS, Screen Australia and the Australian Interactive Games Fund. 
 
Labor is proud that Australia has one of the most sophisticated creative sectors in the world, but we can’t afford to rest on our laurels as investment stalls, exports fall, our talent moves offshore and our neighbours outpace us. 
  
Australia is well placed to benefit from the development of this job-generating sector, and Labor is taking a strategic and hands-on approach to ensure we do. 
 
Labor will: 
  

  • Convene a Creative Economy Summit to gather the best ideas to boost and accelerate Australia’s creative economy. 

  • Formulate a Creative Economy Strategy 2030 to harness and facilitate the cultural and industrial benefits of Australia’s creative skills. 

  • Reform the policy and regulatory framework for media and communications.  

  • Convene a Taskforce to modernise Australia’s screen content settings. 

  • Invest $60 million into the ABC and SBS for Australian screen content. 

  • Invest $25 million to reinstate the Australian Interactive Games Fund. 

  • Progress First Nations Media 9 Calls for Action in partnership with the sector. 

 
This builds upon and complements related Labor commitments, including: 
  

  • $10 million to build a STEAM Innovations Centre.  

  • $3 million to help establish a National Centre of AI Excellence. 

  • $3 million for Augmented and Virtual Reality Equipment for Curtin University.  


Over a decade ago, 1,000 Australians converged on Parliament House in Canberra to discuss ‘Towards a Creative Australia’ as part of Labor’s Australia 2020 Summit.  

Now it’s time for Australia to look to 2030 and beyond and harness the transformations occurring in communications and the growth opportunities across our creative economy and the globe. 

Only Labor has a Plan for Australia’s Creative Economy because we will make multinationals pay their fair share and close tax loopholes used by the top end of town.  

End the cuts and chaos.  Vote for change.  Vote for Labor.  

Funding for this commitment has been included in Labor’s Fair Go Budget Plan, available at http://www.alp.org.au/labors_fiscal_plan

SATURDAY, 11 MAY 2019 

Tony Burke