Independent lobby group Fund the Arts has released its scorecards for the federal election, rating the Arts policies of the three major parties as well as a host of high-profile independents.

Each party’s policies were assessed on 12 key criteria, with a potential mark out of five in each. Dr Tully Barnett (Flinders University), Dr Jo Caust (University of Melbourne) and Dr Ben Eltham (Monash University) took into account the current policy landscape, recent research in Australian arts and cultural policy, and the published views of industry groups and sector advocates in establishing these criteria, and in undertaking their assessments. 

The 12 categories are:

  • Funding
  • First Nations
  • Artist wages and labour conditions
  • Content
  • Governance
  • Diversity
  • Public Sphere
  • Vision for the arts
  • Situated within a rights framework
  • Developing a ministry of culture
  • Supporting arms length peer review funding model
  • Legislation for tax incentives, insurance schemes, reporting mechanisms

The final scores are:

Greens – 56 out of a possible 60 points
Labor – 39/60
Liberal/National – 9/60