Don’t give us Rock Stars just give us the True Believers

Well, this is the sweetest victory of all. This is a victory for the true believers: the people who, in difficult times, have kept the faith,” Keating said in 1993 after he won an election no one thought he’d win.

Since Keating’s left politics, it’s hard to imagine the same level of passion in any of our politicians.
I thought last night it would be different when I aattended the book launch of Australian Arts: Where the Bloody Hell Are You at the Seymour Centre.

The speakers included Minister for the Arts & Sport George Brandis and Shadow Minister for the Arts Peter Garrett.

As a former artist himself, I expected Garret to be more thought provoking in his discussion with Brandis. He was not and the evening was a flop.

It was all so polite and nice. But real leaders are not about sugar and spice. Keating would have mauled Brandis last night.

Let’s be honest about it, there is no doubt that when the Labor Party welcomed Garrett into the party it was because of the popularity he garnered as lead singer of Midnight Oil.

Here is a man that wrote evocative lyrics about our life and times. Forget about the power, the man was about passion.

Last night, however, he had no passion.

Brandis gave his predictable rubbish about how arts should not be about elitism, that perhaps arts advocates like the Cate Blanchett and the Australian Ballet should do more to promote arts in the community (because of course we can’t be arsed by giving money). He also spoke about the ‘commitment’ that cabinet ministers have towards the arts.

Apparently Ruddock has an extensive Aboriginal collection. Who cares? I mean who would be able to go Ruddock’s home to view this collection (um and let’s not go there about copyright issues) and who exactly wants to see Downer’s Ken Done collection.

And according to Brandis the US had no artistic life before World War II.

He George Brandis is a man that clearly has no idea about his portfolio.

Shouldn’t Garrett have asked the questions that as Arts and Sports minister, how much money has Brandis allocated to sports compared to arts? And if we are talking about wanting to export our arts industry shouldn’t foster our own local industry first?

To be fair to Garrett, he did say that as an industry, arts begin in the homes and in the local theatre and that is the basis to build an industry on.

He also quoted Keating. But instead of just quoting him, he should have had Keating’s balls to counteract the comments made by Brandis.


As much as I despise Howard I can respect him on the basis that he has fashioned this country to reflect his small mindedness, his pettiness, his stupidity. He has not compromised on who he is.

Arts are in trouble. There is no connect or support for local artists. There is neither commitment.

I wanted Garrett to articulate my frustrations, to take my screams at my television and present them to Brandis. I am sure Keating or Whitlam would have.

In the meantime I suspect that Brandis will return to Cabinet and allocate a further $500 million to sport.

Later that evening, my sister (who is an artist), her husband and I, retired to the Duck & Swan. We drank the house red and feasted on twisties which we pretended was a cheese platter.