FLETCHER MISLEADS ON ARTS FUNDING
Arts Minister Paul Fletcher has been caught out blatantly misleading the Australian public over arts funding.
On October 11 Mr Fletcher claimed some of the $250 million emergency arts funding package – announced on June 25 – had finally started flowing.
“As I mentioned, the $250 million JobMaker package announced in late June, with much of that money or some of that money already flowing,” Mr Fletcher told the ABC Adelaide’s Sunday Morning program.
Minister Fletcher referred specifically to the $50 million Temporary Interruption Fund, designed to underwrite screen productions.
But under Labor questioning in Senate estimates on Thursday, officials confirmed none of that money – from the TIF or any other part of the $250m package - had actually gone to anyone who needs it.
“In a cashflow sense – no cash has flowed,” Department Secretary Simon Atkinson confirmed.
If Mr Fletcher spent more time helping the sector and less time spreading misleading spin, everyone would be better off.
This isn’t the first time he has been caught out. Earlier in the year he claimed up to $10 billion in support was going to arts sector workers, including through JobKeeper. Even he now concedes the true figure is a fraction of that.
Conveniently, Mr Fletcher has ceased publishing transcripts of his interviews on his website in recent months.
Officials in estimates also confirmed no grants had been approved under the $75 million RISE fund and the guidelines had not yet even been settled for the $90 million concessional loans scheme.
It’s been 119 days since Scott Morrison and Paul Fletcher were dragged kicking and screaming into announcing this emergency support for this struggling sector – but they still haven’t actually delivered a dollar.
Singer Guy Sebastian – who Mr Morrison and Mr Fletcher used for their announcement photo op – is also now demanding answers about the money. “My heart breaks for this industry,” he said this week.
The COVID-19 crisis began in March. Labor first called for a support package in March.
For more than three months the Government stubbornly insisted there was no problem and a sector completely shut down by restrictions was somehow doing okay. After more than 100 days they finally relented and announced their support package.
A huge number of arts and entertainment workers also missed out on JobKeeper because of the way the Government designed the wage subsidy scheme. Those who did qualify copped a cut to their rate three weeks ago.
These workers deserve better than this hopeless prime minister, who cares more about headlines than helping people.
Scott Morrison was there for the announcement alongside the celebrities but as always he’s failed to deliver. He’s all photo-op and no follow-up.
THURSDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2020