The current political climate is so fraught and it is undermining what should not have been a controversial decision. This decision by Creative Australia is another sad case of capitulating to craven superficial right wing forces. As you have rightly pointed out, they don't bat an eyelid to the wholesale trashing of democratic processes and fascist salutes. We now have self censorship at the slightest of objections. Just look at what's happening with the ABC and the Lattouf case.
Tonight I sat next to Dagostino and Sabsabi at the Bankstown Poetry Slam at the Sydney Opera House as young people spoke of freedom and called out injustices within our social systems, out education structures, media, our lack of care for the environment , our lack of conscience in politics.
I sat there sitting next to two brave people, listening to brave poets speak. The room in solidarity, applauding Sabsabi who was acknowledged from the stage.
And amongst all this solidarity and galvanization of the most vulnerable of our artists (like those at the Bankstown Poetry Slam - an org without funding and volunteer run) I'm struck by a silence. i'm still waiting to hear the voices of the cultural institutions, the major performing arts companies to stand up to what has been an attack on cultural expression and artistic freedom.
Being a public servant is an honour and a solemn duty. It's about having a clear eye on everything: being transparent, fair and accountable. And if our bureaucrats don't have that ethical triumvirate of values, they are unsuitable for service.
Some very fine observations here, Nick, but I think you may have underplayed the looming shadow of Arts Minister Tony Burke hovering over this ugly incident.
Creative Australia is the government’s peak body for the arts. Burke claims he adhered to his commitment not to interfere politically in the organisation’s work. However, during an interview on the ABC on Feb 17, he admitted that he had contacted Adrian Collette that Thursday, soon after Chandler’s Senate question to Wong, but before the board meeting.
I guess we’ll never know ‘precisely’ what transpired during that call, but I don’t think it fanciful to assume that ‘orders were issued’. Burke subsequently issued some anodyne statement claiming he promised ‘to support whatever decision Collette makes’…
The quaint idea that cultural funding bodies operate independently of government interference should be seen for the illusion it always has been.
Yes, fair point. For what it's worth, Burke and Collette both maintain that they only talked AFTER the emergency board meeting had been called. Having said that, I don't believe for a moment Burke was a neutral influence. I just didn't want to speculate.
The current political climate is so fraught and it is undermining what should not have been a controversial decision. This decision by Creative Australia is another sad case of capitulating to craven superficial right wing forces. As you have rightly pointed out, they don't bat an eyelid to the wholesale trashing of democratic processes and fascist salutes. We now have self censorship at the slightest of objections. Just look at what's happening with the ABC and the Lattouf case.
Tonight I sat next to Dagostino and Sabsabi at the Bankstown Poetry Slam at the Sydney Opera House as young people spoke of freedom and called out injustices within our social systems, out education structures, media, our lack of care for the environment , our lack of conscience in politics.
I sat there sitting next to two brave people, listening to brave poets speak. The room in solidarity, applauding Sabsabi who was acknowledged from the stage.
And amongst all this solidarity and galvanization of the most vulnerable of our artists (like those at the Bankstown Poetry Slam - an org without funding and volunteer run) I'm struck by a silence. i'm still waiting to hear the voices of the cultural institutions, the major performing arts companies to stand up to what has been an attack on cultural expression and artistic freedom.
Being a public servant is an honour and a solemn duty. It's about having a clear eye on everything: being transparent, fair and accountable. And if our bureaucrats don't have that ethical triumvirate of values, they are unsuitable for service.
Some very fine observations here, Nick, but I think you may have underplayed the looming shadow of Arts Minister Tony Burke hovering over this ugly incident.
Creative Australia is the government’s peak body for the arts. Burke claims he adhered to his commitment not to interfere politically in the organisation’s work. However, during an interview on the ABC on Feb 17, he admitted that he had contacted Adrian Collette that Thursday, soon after Chandler’s Senate question to Wong, but before the board meeting.
I guess we’ll never know ‘precisely’ what transpired during that call, but I don’t think it fanciful to assume that ‘orders were issued’. Burke subsequently issued some anodyne statement claiming he promised ‘to support whatever decision Collette makes’…
The quaint idea that cultural funding bodies operate independently of government interference should be seen for the illusion it always has been.
Yes, fair point. For what it's worth, Burke and Collette both maintain that they only talked AFTER the emergency board meeting had been called. Having said that, I don't believe for a moment Burke was a neutral influence. I just didn't want to speculate.
CA must have got their ideas from the sainted Ita. There's no way it owed Sabsabi anything and anyway couldn't he just get some illness or something?