“The mood of arts organisations has moved substantially from shock to anger. People want to know why this is happening and why they're being forced to cut staff, sack people or cancel touring schedules.”

“The mood is actually very bleak, not just because of the amount of money that has been shifted, but the fact that from now on, George Brandis and his little hand-picked selection committees will be able to make funding decisions about touring schedules and arts funding in general. 

The Greens have combined with the Labor Party and Senate crossbenchers to initiate an inquiry into Senator George Brandis’ unprecedented raid on Commonwealth Arts funding. 

“The Government sent shock waves through the arts community with its $105 million budget-night raid on the Australia Council. Senator Brandis has established his own Departmental funding pool with no guidelines and no evident purpose apart from to play favourites and undermine the independence of the Australia Council,” Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said today. 

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam today said the Greens will join the arts community push for a Senate Inquiry into Brandis’ arts takeover.

“Australia’s arts should not be the personal fiefdom of George Brandis,” Senator Ludlam said. 

“The Greens agree we need a Senate Inquiry to examine why the government is attacking the arts and undermining the Australia Council.”

The Coalition has let the extremist cat out of the bag, with Tony Abbott's Liberals pushing plans to privatise the ABC and SBS, the Greens warned today.

"When Parliament resumes the Greens will introduce a motion to test the Coalition's real intentions," Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said today.

Senator Ludlam said the Coalition had dropped its guard and revealed its extremism.

"The Coalition arrogantly assumes it will sail into office regardless of how extreme its policies are. The mask is slipping.

Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam welcomed today's announcement that the Australian Music Radio Airplay project would receive $250,000 from the Federal Government, but urged a long-term commitment to the programme.

"The Federal Government must recommit to AMRAP's $600,000 annual budget to keep the project alive. By the Minister's own admission, this $250,000 will only keep the project operating for six months.

Additional Estimates - Tuesday 14 February 2011 - Legal and Constitutional Committee - Australian Federal Police

Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam will speak at a public forum in Sydney tomorrow evening presented by the Support Assange and WikiLeaks Coalition and supported by the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism.

The aggressive response of governments and corporations to the work of publishing organisation WikiLeaks raises serious questions about the future of the internet, government and corporate accountability, and freedom of speech.

The Australian Greens renewed their call for greater funding of SBS after it was revealed services in fifteen languages had been temporarily suspended by the broadcaster during the summer break.

The Greens communications spokesperson, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam, said the Government needs to substantially increase funding in the 2012-13 budget, and decrease the broadcaster's dependence on declining advertising revenues.