Peers of the Australia Council’s Realm

The Australia Council, the body which this year stripped Quadrant of every penny of what was not much funding to begin with, hands out taxpayer money on the basis of appraisals made by panels of artistic “peers”. Given Quadrant‘s  recent treatment, the suspicion might well arise that those same peers tend to a port-canted perspective. The ly cynical might even surmise that, when it comes to distributing taxpayer funds, the like-minded tend to support the like-minded.

Now, though, there is an opportunity to broaden the Australia Council’s perspectives, not to mention the recipients of its largesse, as applications are being sought for the roster of peers who will decide who gets how much over the year ahead.

Why not apply? Diversity is all the rage these days, so conservative writers, artists and the like might enjoy the opportunity to expose their fellow panellists to views and perspectives that are very hard to see from the inner-city enclaves and green environs from which past…