Labor pledges to scrap Catalyst 'slush fund'

Labor has vowed to scrap the Catalyst arts funding body established by the current Federal Government and return any remaining funds to the Australia Council for the Arts.

Releasing Labor’s arts policy, the opposition leader, Bill Shorten; the party’s arts spokesman, Mark Dreyfus and its communications spokesman, Jason Clare, described Catalyst as a “ministerial slush fund”.

Shorten promised that a Labor will boost arts funding by $160 million if elected, describing the cash injection as an investment rather than a cost.

The Opposition Leader took to the stage at the Malthouse Theatre today (Saturday 5th June) to unveil the party's policy.

He promised to hand back control of arts funding decisions, as well as any remaining money, to the Australia Council, to which he said Labor would provide $20 million a year in new funding over four years from 2017.

He said his government would deliver the ABC an extra $60 million to increase local drama production.

School music programs, live music and the Regional Arts Fund would also benefit from increased funding if Labor forms government.

The arts community has been critical of the Catalyst program and its predecessor, the National Program for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA).

A total of $105 million, about 15% of the Australia Council's budget, was diverted to NEPA when it was established.

Arts funding decisions were placed in the hands of then-Arts Minister George Brandis, a move which saw him accused of politicising arts funding.

Of the $105 million diverted from the Australia Council when NEPA was formed, $32 million was returned when Catalyst was created in November.

Image: The arts community has been critical of the Catalyst program and its predecessor, the National Program for Excellence in the Arts.

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