Newcastle Mayor and Three Liberal MPs Stood Down- ICAC Inquiries 2014

Update on: Newcastle Mayor Liberal Jeff McCloy and Ten NSW Liberal MPs Stood Down Due to Corruption - ICAC Inquiries 2014

Newcastle swung back to Labor with increased Greens votes (Labor preferences) in the NSW State elections last weekend after eight months of political turmoil, and by-elections following the resignations in 2014 of three Liberal MPS and the Newcastle Mayor on charges of corruption over political donations and slush funds, in Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiries in the Hunter and Newcastle areas. Overall ten Liberal MPS have resigned over the course of the inquiry into political donations and links to mining and property development. In contrast, during the same term of the NSW Liberal government there were cuts of $1.7 billion to education introduced by the Government, resulting in the axing of fine art courses in the Hunter TAFE.

Background
August 2014: Then Newcastle Mayor and property developer Jeff McCloy stood down following an inquiry into corruption by the ICAC for his history of political donations- it is illegal for property developers to make political donations in NSW. This was the charge that all ten MPs faced and were found guilty of and stood down over.
August 2014: Three Liberal MPs for the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie area, Tim Owen (Newcastle), Andrew Cornwell (Charlestown) and Garry Edwards (Swansea) stood down on the same charges of corruption accepting illegal political donations from Jeff McCloy, who argued that he was not a corrupt property developer in this capacity when he donated as he said not all his companies are in property development, which was rejected in his defence by the ICAC.

"Mr McCloy said he'd given Mr Edwards [Swansea Liberal MP] about $1,500 in cash during the last state election campaign. That's on top of the bundles of $10,000 he'd given to two other candidates: the former member for Newcastle, Tim Owen, and the former member for Charlestown, Andrew Cornwell." (ABC news transcript 8.14.2014).

This is now well documented in the media, but for several years corruption over development coal loader plans for the former steelworks in Newcastle was implicated in the 'dirty tricks' against former Labor Newcastle MP Jodi McKay who lost her Labor seat after an insider Labor driven campaign against her (Labor's) plans for a container terminal project at the former BHP steelworks site at Mayfield - which a widely distributed leaflet falsely claimed would see "1000 trucks a day in the suburban streets'.
 An ICAC inquiry in September 2014 found that former Labor powerbroker Joe Tripodi was the anonymous face behind the leafletting and that he had designed and organised its distribution to households across Newcastle. The ICAC inquiry found that Tripodi was interested in employment by Buildev owned by Nathan Trinkler mining magnate which planned to use the Mayfield site for a fourth coal terminal, in conflict with Jodi McKay's Labor plans. The health implications of a fourth coal terminal in Newcastle are dire, and have been researched as such.
This was evidence of dirty tricks in the NSW Labor party, which lost the 2011 election, and which showed that Labor were not immune to the corruption of property development and mining interests.
The Australian Greens party remains the only party in Newcastle that avoids corrupt dealings over the future of the city and its development in transition from a former major steel city.
Newcastle, New South Wales, needs the Greens Party to counter the corrupting influences, and hold the major parties to account and can play a vital and socially necessary role, in enabling artists to have a place in society and supporting arts education in TAFE again.  The Greens are the only political party in Newcastle and the Hunter that has not been subject to an ICAC inquiry, and has not had party members involved in corrupt dealings. This and the political opposition to big mining and coal seam gas mining and opposition to ruthless roadway development plans in Sydney, has resulted in a big swing to the Greens in NSW gaining three so far counted, and perhaps four, seats in the Lower House.

Ruth Skilbeck

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/eighth-nsw-government-mp-stands-down-over/5671816http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/eighth-nsw-government-mp-stands-down-over/5671816

http://ruthskilbeck.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/could-this-really-be-last-grad-show-at.html

http://www.nswlabor.org.au/jodimckay

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2489538/icac-strike-10th-liberal-mp-skittled-at-inquiry/

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2527325/icac-stop-jodis-trucks-wasnt-my-idea-says-joe-tripodi/

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2497761/icac-joe-tripodi-organised-and-designed-stop-jodis-trucks-brochure/

Could this really be the last Grad Show at Newcastle Art School's Front Room Gallery?

By Ruth Skilbeck in Newcastle

Reverberations of the news that Barry O'Farrell NSW Liberal Premier's decision to cut $1.7 million funding from NSW education specifically targets Fine Arts course at TAFE NSW colleges, are spreading through social media art circles like the proverbial ripples caused by a stone thrown into a calm and peaceful pond.

In Newcastle, cutting TAFE art education funding seems nonsensical. This is a post-industrial city where after BHP pulled out of town, art and artists many who spent years at the Newcastle Art School on Hunter Street (TAFE) are instrumental in -literally and symbolically- transforming the image of the post industrial  cityscape into a vibrant alternative artscene. Into a city which is listed as a top destination for global backpackers in the Lonely Planet guide. A place where for instance, bus shelters on the largely abandoned main street, Hunter Street, are turned into shrines of contemporary artists' follies. Where artists saved the city through Renew Newcastle a scheme to "transform empty shopfronts" - on the main street and city centre after the withdrawal of BHP steel works led to the temporary collapse of the local economy. The Renew Newcastle scheme, started up and run by Marcus Westbury, a Novacastrian, who has gone on to start up Renew Australia based on Renew Newcastle's success, has proved so successful that it is being taken up as an economic and cultural model of transformation and urban regeneration not only in Australia but also overseas.

Surely it is a gross betrayal of the very artists- and their teachers- who have made this visually attractive form of urban renewal, to announce that their jobs are going to be axed and funding cut? Thus effectively stifling all creative economic-cultural growth of this kind- that tourists and locals alike appreciate?

How TAFE courses operate is on a neoliberal logic: that if sufficient numbers of students do not enrol for a course it will not run. The changes announced by Barry O'Farrell indicate that the costs will escalate for TAFE Fine Arts courses in "low economic" regions. (This includes the Hunter despite the mining in the Hunter Valley- it really does not make much sense).  Actual figures of actual cost increases for courses have not been released but the guesses are between $8,000-12,000 per year- which is beyond the means of the majority of TAFE students. Hence TAFE art schools across the state including the Newcastle Hunter Street Art School are anticipating that they will not get the enrolments their courses need to run and that this will result in many courses eliminated, staff redundancies (as all courses are taught by part time and "casual" staff to use the neoliberal terminology; in reality they are taught by well-regarded practising professional vocational artists), and art schools being closed.

To give an idea of the mood, young Newcastle artist Ben Marcus Kenning writes in the Novacastrian Arts Group (NAG) on facebook:

this coming wed at hunter st tafes front room gallery is a show exhibiting 3rd year graduates work.

due to funding cuts this will be the final exhibition hosted by this gallery which has supported and offered invaluable experience to many a young budding artist

if you have been a part of the community of newcastle art school please turn up to support the students on show and reflect on the great influence this gallery, institution and its staff have had on the newcastle art scene and those involved within it 

6-8pm, wed next week, please share this post

Ben Marcus Kenning
 Critter Weave, 2012

Save Art Education in NSW Gathers Momentum

By Ruth Skilbeck

Save Art Education in TAFE NSW protestors from art schools across NSW handed member for Marrickville in the NSW Wales Legislative Assembly and shadow minister for education and training Carmel Tebbutt a petition with over 35,000 signatures, outside Parliament House in Sydney yesterday.

Barry O’Farrell, Liberal Premier of the NSW state government recently announced that it will cut $1.7 billion in funding and axe 1800 jobs in the biggest cuts ever to NSW public education and independent schools sector.

In the Hunter Region, TAFE’s historic Newcastle Art School in Hunter Street, is to be affected by the 4-year “budget savings” program of planned redundancies of up to 20 part time teachers,  and fees increases in savage cuts to its visual arts, painting and sculpture programs, as reported in the regional news media (The Newcastle Herald and NBN).

Established in the late 19^th century, Hunter Street Art School has been a cultural fine arts oasis, in a heavy-industry city, and training ground and alma mater for many accomplished studio-based artists, as well as generations of graduates who have pursued successful careers in the arts as curators, gallerists, photo-media professionals, independent arts entrepreneurs of many a stripe.

Many notable and well-known Australian artists have taught, and trained at the Hunter Street Newcastle Art School. Currently teaching there is Michael Bell (who is represented by Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney).

Michael Bell, The Great Fire of Sydney (MCA)

2010

linocut on paper

30 x 30 cm   Ray Hughes Gallery

The Hunter Street Art School, in line with TAFE art education, feeds into university art based courses for students who are dedicated and passionate artists- the diploma courses can convert into foundation university courses, enabling successful students to move into university to pursue research and research based study. The University of Newcastle has an affiliation with Sydney College of the Arts, and conversion pathways from Hunter Street Art School courses at TAFE.

This enables local, regional students who would not otherwise have the opportunities and benefits of studying art in practical training, and research degrees in universities, which are linked with the wider national and international art world.

TAFE education therefore provides an equitable opportunity for those students who may otherwise by disadvantaged by distance and lack of educational and cultural opportunities in regional Australia.

The proposed cuts are only going to increase that lack of opportunities, and inequity between urban and regional (and international) life, making the TAFE art course even more necessary to increase rather than cut funding.

Value of art is not monetary and art is not for profit

Skilbeck, Ruth (1997) ‘Getting Your Goat’. Interview based profile of Mambo artist, Michael Bell. Australian Style. Issue 27.68-78.

Skilbeck, Ruth (1997) ‘Off beat Partners’ interview-based profile of Michael Bell and Steven Abbott. The Newcastle Herald. December 7

Ruth Skilbeck designed and taught the inaugural media and communications course at the Newcastle Art School in 1997.