Labor promises new cultural policy ahead of election

Instead of announcing an arts policy prior to Saturday’s election, the ALP has pledged to develop a national cultural policy instead.

A new cultural policy – the first since the abolition of Creative Australia by the Abbott Government in 2013 – has been promised should Labor be elected to government this Saturday.

‘The arts sector is currently in an extreme state of flux as it seeks to recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic – and from a decade of Liberal National neglect, contempt and cuts,’ Burke said.

‘A new direction is needed from a Labor government that will give the arts the support it needs.’

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's former National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the 2019 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in early 2020. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association in 2021, and a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Photo: Fiona Hamilton. Follow Richard on Bluesky @richardthewatts.bsky.social and Instagram @richard.l.watts