The front page of www.petergarrett.com.au displays some media releases detailing the Minister's recent work. This is how it appeared this morning:

5 Sept - Minister says no to Shoalwater Bay Rail and Port
4 Sept - Minister suspends reef cove approval
3 Sept - Green Neighbourhoods a click away
29 Aug - Energy Efficiency tops agenda in Melbourne
27 Aug - Minister announces Priority Assessment List (this last one draws attention to  27 animals, plants and important habitat areas)

Below this, we have photos and news of two Australian primary schools learning about climate change and native trees.

A narrow column to the right of the page showcases some interesting links - a Green paper on Carbon Pollution Reduction, Energy Efficiency, Kingsford Smith Green Heroes, Environment Protection Legislation, Grants and Volunteer opportunities for community Greenies. Elsewhere there are info-kits and downloads on Earth Hour, Renewable Energy, Clean Coal, and more besides.

Tip top work.

But hang about - isn't Garrett the Minister for the Arts? In fact the Minister for Environment, Heritage, and the Arts as well. That's a mouthful. Lumping the massive portfolio of the Environment together with two other cultural portfolios is a painful reminder of the way Arts is often sent to the back of the queue, perhaps seen as belonging at the back of the queue. It's an extra curricular activity, a filler.

If you search for them on Garrett's website, of course there are some Media Releases concerning the arts - but they are considerably fewer and farther between, and it sends a clear message as to where the main priority lies. Shadow Minister Sharman Stone covers the areas of Environment, Heritage, Arts and Indigenous Affairs. There’s a pattern emerging here.

How anyone could reasonably be expected to manage these multiple portfolios effectively, to give a reasonable amount of time and attention to each, is beyond me. It's reminiscent of that old vaudeville act, wherein one hapless but plucky fellow sets plates spinning quickly and balancing on top of long sticks, hovering nervously and flitting between them all trying to keep them up in the air. Looks great onstage, not so much in Government.

Requiring one Minister to engage in frenzied plate-spinning in itself is a poor approach, but perhaps the managerial woes run deeper than over-commitment. In preparation for this piece I spoke with Dr Shaman Stone, who is emphatic in her criticism of Garrett, suggesting he is inexperienced and ham-handed in his approach, and has been “emasculated” by his party in terms of holding any real power.

"In Senate Estimates it has been revealed that the Government's 'cultural diplomacy' policy had been slashed from $9.6 million to just $4.2million, a 52 per cent cut".

“One of his first acts was to abolish the overseas touring support. For someone who has performed overseas, it was extraordinary that this was one of the first programs to be slashed. The 'Australia on the World Stage' programme is gone, taking away government support for performers touring internationally".

There are cuts in other areas too. National collecting institutions such as the National Library of Australia are seeing cuts totalling $20 million through the 2 per cent efficiency dividend imposed by Labor. Chamber Music Australia has had their Masterclass and Special Performances program defunded. It goes on.

Something else that struck me was the criticism from Stone that Garrett has been given too much to handle, holding the enormous responsibility of the Environment portfolio, particularly as a relatively inexperienced Minister, as well as Arts and Heritage. (The double standards of this particular criticism is quite breathtaking).

We've heard talk of nurturing a Creative Australia, of encouraging emerging artists and featuring artist-in-residence programs in schools, but we're waiting to see plain action to back this up.

There are of course worthwhile arts programs made possible through Government support - just this week oversaw the launch of MOBFEST Tanami 2008, a remote Indigenous music education festival MOBFEST Tanami at Ti Tree School, NT, with funding provided through a Government initiative called the Community Festivals for Education Engagement. We've seen the creation of Screen Australia, a streamlined and strengthened funding body replacing the Australian Film Commission, Film Australia and the Film Finance Corporation. And tonight of course will see the winner of the newly-minted PM's Literary Award announced.

There are certainly examples of good work being done. But I want more. For starters, on both sides of Government I want a separate Federal and Shadow Minister for the Arts, and Arts alone. I want to see an attitude that it's not an indulgence to focus on our cultural life, to put time, energy and passion into nourishing Australian Arts as a major concern in and of itself. Not something to squeeze in between other more important matters.

Asked what are the achievements in Arts support Garrett is most proud of and what their overarching vision for Arts support would be while during this term, Garrett's office declined to comment.  Dare I suggest they were too busy?

As we head towards the end of the first year in power for the new Labor Government, it might be suitable to switch analogies.

What's that old wedding custom? You know, the one where everybody starts smashing plates?

Yeah, let's go with that one. Great.

Sonia Allan holds a B.A Communications (Theatre/Media) from Charles Sturt University, with training in performance, devised theatre, scriptwriting and cultural event practice, which explores ways in which theatre and creative events can directly benefit local communities. She worked throughout 2007 as an Event Manager for the Wakakirri National Storytelling Festival (a performing and visual arts festival for schools around Australia) and is a regular arts writer and reviewer for www.australianstage.com.au, Timeout Magazine and Artshub Australia. She is currently studying towards an MA (English) at the University of Sydney.