Labor's artistic propaganda

The Gillard government is asking artists to help its propaganda campaign for the wasteful NBN (Not Bloody Necessary) communication program.Arts Minister Simon Crean has approved an Australia Council for the Arts project with grants of up to $100,000 of taxpayers' money to create "visionary" works to promote the monstrous scheme.

The Daily Telegraph's Simon Benson reported today that the Council for the Arts has called for submissions on creating "visionary arts projects". An initial funding pool of $300,000 has been set aside for the projects, which would have to demonstrate the network's cultural benefits and the "new opportunities" broadband creates for the arts. Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull rightly says the plan smacks of Soviet-era propaganda and is insulting to artists. "So now Australian artists will be recruited to promote the NBN," he said. "It reminds us of Soviet artists being recruited to glorify the heroic labour of the No.3 V.I. Lenin Missile Factory." Nonetheless, artists will line up to grab the cash and they will see Labor as arts-friendly not realising how they are compromising their talent. A number of Australians contributed as war artists and others worked on camouflage during WWII. Many of them went on to earn recognition for their artistic skills. The NBN is a highly-politicised project and artists should realise that they are being used by a desperate government sliding into oblivion. As Turnbull said: "If the government wants to persuade Australians the NBN represents value for money it should undertake a rigorous cost-benefit analysis, weigh up fibre to the home against cheaper and faster-to-install technologies and let Australians make an informed judgment." But Labor doesn't like cost-benefit analyses because Labor has yet to come up with a policy that makes economic sense. This is one gift horse the arts community should reject out of hand.