Transcript - Radio Interview – ABC Radio Perth Mornings - Monday, 13 September 2021

NADIA MITSOPOULOS, HOST: Patrick Gorman is the federal Labor member for Perth. Patrick, good morning.

PATRICK GORMAN, SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Good morning, Nadia and good morning to your listeners.

MITSOPOULOS: You sat on the Arts and Communications Committee for Federal Parliament. Can you tell us how he funding works and the process behind distributing it?

GORMAN: Well, as Professor Sears has highlighted, unfortunately unlike the Australia Council, this funding is in the hands of the Minister, the Minister can decide. Now, that was supposed to be so this money could get out quickly to artists and arts organisations that needed it as we go through a global pandemic. But instead, what we're seeing is a complete lack of transparency and some very questionable decisions. Now, I back regional WA, I'm in Kalgoorlie right now, the arts isn't something that just happens in the Perth CBD. But to throw more than $600,000 at one bar and spa retreat is just, the Minister really should explain what went into this decision, because I can't understand it.

MITSOPOULOS: Do the numbers stack up? I mean, they're talking about 288 jobs that would be created. This is a bar that would be filled with 200 people, once a week, every week for two years and create about 15,000 jobs, that's the figures that were on the Minister's press release.

GORMAN: Anyone who works in the arts industry in Western Australia would know that it is incredibly poor value for money. We've got great organisations like Fringe World, who can do so much with so little, and they don't even get regular federal funding, and they're able to continue to provide entertainment for hundreds of thousands of people. So on a value for money or a number of patrons measure it doesn't stack up. And I don't know all of the organisations who were rejected, but it does seem very strange to be putting a third of the funding for Western Australia into one organisation in Manjimup. Now, yeah, it is extravagant. I mean, it's more indulgent than an Eddie Van Halen rider.

MITSOPOULOS: And you could argue though, OK, this couple have legitimately, this is not about them as such, I mean, they've legitimately applied and legitimately been given this money. This is more about the process, I think, given that more than a third of the last round of money actually just went to this one venture. But could you also argue on the flip side and say, well, what about giving someone a go and let's see if this could work?

GORMAN: I'm all up to giving people a go, and I think the arts community is full of people that have a go. When you put together a show, or you step out as a musician or performer, you are really out there. And we know so many artists in Western Australia have to supplement doing what they love with other jobs. But this just seems, I mean, at best, rushed, at worst, I feel like there's more to this story than we hearing, because it is a huge amount of money. Now, I also think in terms of the employment creation, now what we know, and as you said I sit on the Communications and Arts Committee of the House of Representatives, we spent months listening to community organisations, community arts organisations who had let staff go. We saw more than 870,000 Australians in the arts sector lose their jobs last year. And this RISE funding is supposed to be about getting those people back into work, and that's probably the thing I'm most sceptical about is how many jobs are actually going to be created out of this? I've had so many lectures from the Minister, who is now refusing to come on your program, telling us about how they're so focused on jobs. But I don't see the clear link with job creation, and a gig here and there is good for artists, but they need things that are sustainable, not things that rely on huge grants. So I just, yeah, I really feel for performers and artists today who are hearing about this. I think I just feel that after 18 months, they deserved a little bit more consideration and a little bit more care in how these very small funds are distributed.

MITSOPOULOS: Patrick Gorman, I'll leave it there, and I do appreciate your time. He's the federal Labor member for Perth.