Ms Dunne charges that ACT Labor has squandered resources by spending more than $8 million at the expense of most other art forms, de-funded Canberra Arts Marketing, separated business and tourism from the arts and “made a rash and ill-thought-out decision about the Fitters’ Workshop”.

She named the National Eisteddfod Society and the Canberra Area Theatre Awards (CAT Awards) as organisationas that had  done much to develop young and local talent with limited funding.

“We will have to be more targeted and more strategic in how we fund the arts,” she said.

If elected, she and ACT Opposition Leader Zed Seselja had agreed, the Canberra Liberals would:

• Commit an extra $2.4 million to enable the Cultural Facilities Corporation to develop the Kingston Arts Precinct, including a purpose-built facility for Megalo Print Studio + Gallery;
• Commit an extra $100,000 every year for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra;
• Commit an extra $50,000 every year to extend arts grants funding, with a focus on local artists;
• Relocate Arts ACT to the Economic Development Directorate, to recognise the contribution of the arts to the ACT economy; and
• Develop a Creative Industry Plan.

ACT Arts Minister Joy Burch will release Labor’s arts policy at Gorman House this afternoon and, at 5.30pm in the Canberra Museum and Gallery, representatives from Labor, the Liberals and the Greens will outline their arts policies at a Childers Group forum.