Australia’s New Arts Minister Meets With Music Industry

Australia's National Cultural Policy is expected to be on tonight's agenda. Burke has also tipped off the music biz to his support of the document. Soon after learning he’d been appointed to the arts portfolio, Burke took to Twitter to prove his leanings toward the NCP.

Burke, a guitar player and opera fan who until recently served as environment minister, was parachuted into the government’s top arts position when his predecessor Simon Crean was sacked for his part in an attempted coup to dismiss the prime minister, Julia Gillard.

Australia’s Arts Minister Simon Crean Out, ‘Creative Australia’ Faces Unknown Fate

Crean’s audacious act -- and swift removal –- came less than a fortnight after he presented “Creative Australia.”  The document is a long-term vision for this country’s cultural activities and its support framework, and is the most signficant of its kind for the arts community in almost 20 years.