the budget

The arts sector got off reasonable well in the budget, all-be-it there were major cuts in last year's budget, so another kilo off the body of the arts may have been fatal to some in the arts sector. The same cannot be said for the ABC. Despite its central role in Australian culture as well as being a source of news and information, the ABC's budget allocation was less than the bare-bones figure recommended by the Mansfield inquiry.

Welfare organisations claim that cuts made in the social welfare and health sectors will fall heavily on the bottom 5 percent of the community, the same part of the community that has the least ability or opportunity to lobby on its own behalf.

Now there is an argument that Australia's overseas debt is far too large, and must be cut for the overall benefit of the nation, and we should all share the pain. But the rhetoric of national sacrifice was absent from the budget speeches

So have the arts been quarantined to spare the government the articulate attacks that would follow for example, the 25 percent cuts that were rumoured to be planned for support to the film and television industry. And if that lobby was successful, why was the pro- ABC lobby unsuccessful ? To discuss the arts budget in this larger context, Morag Fraser, political and social commentator, and editor of Eureka Street joins us.

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