Awards money will go to front line, no apologies: Newman

CAMPBELL Newman says he makes "no apologies" for axing the Premier's Literary Awards, a move condemned as short-sighted.

CAMPBELL Newman says he makes "no apologies" for axing the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, a move condemned by authors and publishers as mean-spirited and short-sighted.

The Queensland Premier stood firm yesterday on his decision to cut the $240,000 in funding in order to give priority to frontline services.

"We will be making no apologies for going into all areas of government and cutting out things that right now are preventing us funding more frontline police, more firefighters, more nurses, more doctors," he said.

"That's the priority right now. There is an old saying that if you look after pennies, the pounds, they take care of themselves."

A government spokesman said other Queensland Premier's awards, for drama, sustainability, reconciliation and export businesses, would remain for now.

But authors and publishing houses lined up to argue the cancellation was an indication the arts were viewed as unimportant. Author Rebecca Sparrow said she was disappointed at the announcement -- "like every other Queensland writer I know".

"So often as a society we deem the arts -- music, poetry, books, art and theatre -- as frivolous. A luxury," she said. "And yet these things are actually the very fabric of our daily lives."

Helen Garner, who won the prize for fiction for The Spare Room in 2008, said the cancellation raised the "eternal question in Australia". "Why do they think literary prizes are more extravagant than the funding that they give to sport?" she said.

Awards chairwoman Jane Edwards told ABC radio she understood the need to cut costs, but "this one just hurts, particularly because it has been such a flagship for Queensland cultural life".

"It did seem kind of mean-spirited to cut the awards when they have been so very successful," Lady Edwards said.

University of Queensland Press chief executive Greg Bain accused the government of aiming at the "soft target" of arts funding. "These contributions to our collective culture are irreplaceable."

Federal Arts Minister Simon Crean told The Australian the literary awards were a small contribution to encourage literature and writing, especially given it was the national year of reading.

"My very strong advice . . . is to urgently reconsider this because it is shortsighted," he said.

The Australian Society of Authors urged the government to rethink its decision, warning that it would "save only a little money at the cost of destroying an important tool in positioning Queensland on the national and international cultural map".