People Are Furious After Scott Morrison Merged Arts Into The Transport Department
"How good is art on trains?"
Wondering what Scott Morrison’s vision of Australia is?
Well, it doesn’t include the arts and it doesn’t include a standalone environmental department — which is speaking volumes about where the government’s priorities lie.
He’s tried to convince people it’s not a huge ideological (and cost-cutting) move by saying it will cut red tape and lead to better services, but most aren’t buying it.
So to be clear, Australia now has no, stand alone, Department of Education, Department of the Environment and Department of the Arts.
Says it all really.— John Stewart (@stewartj777) December 5, 2019
What Morrison calls “bureaucratic congestion” is often well-educated and well-informed officials arguing strenuously about serious public policy issues in which trade-offs have to be made -eg, agriculture and water/river health, mining and the environment. https://t.co/4TZpgDXJYI
— Paul Barratt (@phbarratt) December 5, 2019
The federal arts department has disappeared, and is being merged into the new Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
Yes, seriously.
Arts and road and rail … what .. the .. fuck
— Michael Jones (@sunsets2009au) December 5, 2019
Although, as some have sarcastically pointed out, they’re not totally unrelated.
How good is art on trains??
— 💧🌏 Keryn Robinson (@KerynR_Artist) December 5, 2019
Trains are the highest form of human expression. In is essay I willl…
— Joe McKenzie (@aJoeMcKenzie) December 6, 2019
The importance of arts are often understated. In 2016 then-education Minister Simon Birmingham described some creative arts as “lifestyle choices”.
Well, according to the government’s own figures those lifestyle choices contribute $111.7 billion to our economy.
The real questions that this whole attack on arts policy raises are: exactly how do we value the arts, why do we fund it, what does it contribute to the texture of Australian culture and society, and how is it valued beyond its economic worth?
— Lauren Carroll Harris (@DrLaurenCH) December 5, 2019
With the Arts ministry being folded into transport, it makes custom paint jobs on a Holden Sandman peak Australian culture.
— Kerrie Murphy (regular edition) (@Kerrie_Murphy) December 6, 2019
If you don't think the Arts and Roads Departments go together you have clearly never driven on the masterpiece that is the WestConnex tunnel. 😙👌
— Charlotte 🤙 (@tibbletwins2) December 6, 2019
The shake up will also see the Department of Environment absorbed into the new Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. The responsibility of emissions reduction will also be split from the environmental portfolio to the new Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
The announcement came on the same day that #climateemergency was trending across Australia.
When #scummo said he’d “burn for the Australian people every single day” did anyone actually think he meant it so literally 🔥 #AustraliaFires #ClimateEmergency pic.twitter.com/APw5LHzPwd
— 💧Sharon Good (@SharonEGood) December 5, 2019
when we’ve got no environment there’ll be nothing to worry about.
— Gavin Miller (@gavinlmiller1) December 5, 2019
Britain, 1940s
Military: We should cut funding to the arts to better afford the warChurchill: then, what the hell are we fighting for?
Australia, 2019
Scomo: Coal. Duh!— Tom Hauville (@tomhauville) December 5, 2019
People Are Furious At Funding Cuts
Departmental merges are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s pissing people off today.
This morning Scott Morrison was forced to justify paying $345,000 to TV tradie Scott Cam; at the same time, he defended cutting funds to Australia’s only national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors of family violence and sexual assault.
The National Family Violence Prevention and Legal Services Forum (National FVPLS) operated on $244,000 a year.
Scott Cam is richer than our National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice for women.
Deadly. #SaveFVPLS
— blak empire (@MerikiKO) December 6, 2019
My idol Scott Cam has now inspired me to become a tradie after his $300,000+ deal with the govt; where the fuck do I sign up (and get skills I guess, oh wait)
— Christopher Owen (@oysta) December 5, 2019
Where is the morality of the #Morrison government? $345k to #ScottCam to act as some kind of “Tradie Ambassador while $245k cut from Family Violence Prevention legal Services @NationalFVPLS forcing it to close @BraybrookA #16DaysOfActivism #OurVoiceOurVisibility #auspol
— Senator Sue Lines (@linessue) December 5, 2019