day one hundred and seventy-seven - band-aid for a gaping wound

Dear Mr Morrison,

In regards to the announcement of your package for the arts industry. It’s far too little, and far too late.

Our industry shutdown - first to go, last to return. 

It’s clear that you’re not serious about our industry. This is a pittance. It’s loose change. The 2018 The Bureau of Communication and Arts Research reported “cultural and creative activity contributed $111.7 billion to Australia’s economy in 2016-17”.

We are in serious trouble; no eligibility for Job keeper, future artists undermined with huge increases in university fees, taking away a dedicated Minister for the Arts, constantly defunding the ABC. Your government has undermined and undervalued our industry at almost every turn.

Look at the numbers of Liberals, including you Mr. Morrison, who voted down the amendments to Job Keeper for Artists. That was when you had a chance to right the wrongs you made when you were first drawing up the scheme. We may have understood. There was a lot going on… clearly missing out on an entire industry wasn’t the only error you made. There’s about 60,000,000,000 other ones that I can think of alone.

No Mr Morrison, you’re clearly not serious about the arts. You clearly don’t have a concept of the economic and cultural value of our industry. You are clearly and actively undermining the current and future generations of artists and critical thinkers.

The effect on the mental health of artists across the nation is devastating, and will only be worse in the future.

Frankly, this is insulting, but you have brought our industry to our knees, so yes - you will get some appreciation for this, but in light of what has been done to the Arts by your party in the past, in light of the lack of support and undermining that has happened under your watch, and in light of the devastation to our beloved industry that will be felt for decades to come, no. There’s no amount of Guy Sebastian that will wash that taste out of our mouths.

For this alone (though there’s a litany of other, often far better reasons), You deserve to be out of office. You deserve to live out your life devoid of a single note of music, television, movies, visual arts.... not even one of your beloved bloody jigsaw puzzles.

You’ve hacked us off at the knees and now you want to be commended for offering *some* of us a band-aid.

Sincerely,

A voter and struggling artist.

Kilt of the day - defunded

Soundtrack of the day - defunded

Film of the day - defunded

Artwork of the day - defunded

Link of the day - defunded

Jigsaw of the day - essential