Australian Greens

Principles

The Australian Greens believe that:

1. Artistic expression and cultural engagement are fundamental aspects of social wellbeing.
2. Access to diverse and innovative artistic and cultural experiences should be available to all Australians.
3. Australian artistic expression, culture, works and institutions should be protected and promoted both within Australia and overseas.
4. Australian artists play an essential role in our nation's cultural life and should be fostered and supported.
5. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and their work represent cultures and heritage which are unique to Australia and must be supported, respected and appropriately protected through legislation, policy and funding priorities.
6. Australia's cultural heritage must be protected and preserved.
7. National libraries and collecting institutions are essential to our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world, and must be maintained and developed as the primary custodians of our cultural heritage.
8. Specialist artistic education and training programs provide a unique learning environment for aspiring artists and should be well funded and resourced.
9. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage including language, knowledge, rituals and stories must be recognised and preserved.
10. The National Curriculum must provide all Australian children with a rich and varied arts education.

Aims

The Australian Greens want:

11. Australian arts and culture to maintain its unique character and diverse nature through support and promotion of local content and the development of local projects for all forms of art and culture.
12. An integrated approach to arts and culture policies and programs that encourages cross-portfolio awareness of their broad social and economic benefits.
13. A national cultural policy that supports and encourages the development of local arts policies and programs and promotes access to arts and cultural events.
14. A greater recognition of the role of local government in the development of arts and cultural policies.
15. Increased access to arts and cultural experiences in rural and regional areas and in areas of social and economic disadvantage.
16. The support and promotion of arts and culture that reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Australian population.
17. Artists’ intellectual property rights to be protected.
18. The Australia Council, as the principal independent body for policy development and administration of arts grants programs, to invest in a greater diversity of artists, communities, and art forms; and to prioritise the development of innovative and creative cultural contexts.
19. More programs supporting emerging artists, such as the introduction of a fixed income support scheme and better access to small business start-up grants and schemes.
20. Australia to sign and ratify the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 2003.
21. To ensure that any trade agreement or other international instrument does not adversely affect Australian artists and cultural expression.
22. The inclusion of culture infrastructure to be required in the development of greenfield sites.
23. Improved access and participation opportunities in Arts and Culture activities for people with disabilities.
24. To support the expansion of the Artbank art rental program with a focus on emerging artists.
25. To ensure that the national retail royalty scheme applies to the resale of all existing artworks and that Australian artists can access resale royalty schemes in other countries.
26. To recognise the important role private sponsorship and philanthropy play in the arts and commit to continue supporting it.