Research indicates this likely refers to the **Book Council of Australia (BCA)**, which was announced by Prime Minister Tony Abbott in December 2014 but then **defunded and scrapped before it ever launched** in December 2015 [1][2].
The BCA was announced with $6 million in funding over three years, intended to "celebrate good reading and good writing" and address challenges facing the Australian book industry [3].
However, in the 2015-16 Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), the government announced the BCA's cessation and defunding [1][2].
此外 cǐ wài , , 負責 fù zé 監管 jiān guǎn 文學 wén xué 資助 zī zhù 的 de 澳洲 ào zhōu 藝術 yì shù 理事 lǐ shì 會 huì ( ( Australia Australia Council Council for for the the Arts Arts ) ) 在 zài 2015 2015 - - 16 16 年度 nián dù 聯邦 lián bāng 預算 yù suàn 中 zhōng 遭受 zāo shòu 了 le * * * * 1.05 1.05 億 yì 澳元 ào yuán 的 de 資助 zī zhù 削減 xuē jiǎn * * * * [ [ 4 4 ] ] [ [ 5 5 ] ] 。 。
Additionally, the Australia Council for the Arts - which oversees literature funding - suffered **$105 million in funding cuts** announced in the 2015-16 federal budget [4][5].
These cuts forced the Australia Council to cancel several programs including:
- ArtStart program
- Creative Communities Partnerships Initiative
- Artists in Residence program
- Six-year funding for organisations program
- June grant round [6]
The "Get Reading!" program name appears to be a conflation or misremembering of either the Book Council of Australia initiative or specific Australia Council literature programs that were cut as part of these broader funding reductions.
The claim omits several critical pieces of context:
**The Book Council was created, then cancelled before launch:** The BCA was announced in December 2014 but scrapped in December 2015 - it never actually operated as a functioning program [1][3].
This was not simply "ending" an existing program but rather cancelling a proposed body that was still in formation.
**The funding mechanism was controversial:** The BCA was originally funded by taking $6 million from the Australia Council budget - against industry wishes [2].
This became part of a broader pattern of Arts Minister George Brandis diverting Australia Council funds to create the National Program for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA), a minister-controlled fund [4][5].
**The cuts were part of broader arts austerity:** The literature sector cuts occurred alongside $105 million in Australia Council cuts and were part of a government-wide budget reduction effort to address deficit concerns [4][5].
**Industry reaction was mixed:** While some artists and writers protested the cuts (with almost 6,000 signing a petition including Thomas Keneally and J.M.
Coetzee) [6], some industry figures like former Australian Publishers Association President Peter Donoghue called the BCA "a bullshit organisation of dubious 'industry policy' Kim Carr provenance" and noted the pity was "the money wasn't returned to its rightful owner, the Australia Council" [2].
While generally factual in reporting, the "mind-blowing list of programs axed" framing suggests a sensationalist approach designed to emphasize the scale of budget cuts rather than provide balanced context about budgetary necessities or alternative funding arrangements.
**Did Labor do something similar?**
The Book Council of Australia concept actually originated with industry groups (publishers, booksellers, agents, and authors) since 2010 and was **endorsed by the Labor Party** before being announced by Tony Abbott [2].
* * * *
This was a bipartisan-supported concept that the Coalition both implemented and then cancelled.
On broader arts funding:
**Labor's record:** The Keating Labor government launched "Creative Nation" in 1994, a landmark cultural policy that significantly increased arts funding and established many of the funding mechanisms that continued through subsequent governments [8].
**Historical pattern:** Both major parties have adjusted arts funding based on fiscal priorities.
這是 zhè shì 一個 yī gè 獲得 huò dé 兩黨 liǎng dǎng 支持 zhī chí 的 de 概念 gài niàn , , 聯盟 lián méng 既 jì 實施 shí shī 了 le 它 tā , , 隨後 suí hòu 又 yòu 取消 qǔ xiāo 了 le 它 tā 。 。
The 2015 Australia Council cuts were significant ($105M over 4 years) but followed a pattern where arts funding is often vulnerable during budget consolidation periods under governments of both stripes.
**The Literature Board:** The Literature Board of the Australia Council was already discontinued in 2014 (before the Coalition's major cuts) due to broader structural changes in arts administration [2].
The Coalition government's handling of book industry and literature funding was complex and drew mixed reactions:
**Criticism of the approach:**
- The Australia Council was blindsided by the $105 million cuts, with executives emailing the government demanding answers about how the reduction was calculated [4]
- The cuts forced cancellation of established programs with proven track records - the six-year funding model had shown these organizations leveraged $8 of additional income for every $1 invested by the Australia Council [6]
- The BCA's funding was diverted from the Australia Council rather than being new funding, creating tension within the arts sector [2]
**Context and mitigating factors:**
- The government was facing significant budget deficit pressures in 2014-2015, and arts funding was one area targeted for savings across the portfolio
- The BCA was controversial from its inception due to its funding mechanism and board appointments - Melbourne literary activist Sam Twyford-Moore organized a campaign against it signed by Nick Cave, John Coetzee, and 350 others [2]
- The government eventually partially reversed course: Communications Minister Mitch Fifield (who took over arts from Brandis) returned $32 million over four years to the Australia Council and restructured the NPEA into the Catalyst fund with a focus on smaller projects [4]
- Arts Minister Fifield promised to "consult widely with the literary community about alternative sector-led mechanisms for representation and promotion" after scrapping the BCA [2]
**Key context:** This is not unique to the Coalition - both major parties have restructured arts funding based on fiscal and political priorities.
The Book Council concept itself had bipartisan origins, and the literature sector has long struggled with inconsistent government support regardless of which party is in power.
The Coalition did cancel/defund the Book Council of Australia and made significant cuts to Australia Council programs affecting literature and reading initiatives ($105 million in cuts forcing cancellation of ArtStart, Creative Communities Partnerships Initiative, Artists in Residence, and other programs).
然而 rán ér , , 該聲 gāi shēng 稱 chēng 將此 jiāng cǐ 簡單 jiǎn dān 表述 biǎo shù 為 wèi 「 「 終止 zhōng zhǐ Get Get Reading Reading ! ! 計畫 jì huà 」 」 , , 過度 guò dù 簡化 jiǎn huà 了 le 實際 shí jì 發生 fā shēng 的 de 情況 qíng kuàng : :
However, the claim presents this as simply "ending the Get Reading! program" which oversimplifies what occurred:
1.
The "Get Reading!" program name appears to be a misremembering or conflation of the Book Council of Australia and related Australia Council literature programs
2.
The context of budget deficit pressures and the controversial funding mechanism (taking money from the Australia Council) is omitted
4.
4 4 . . 未 wèi 提及 tí jí 部分 bù fèn 逆轉 nì zhuǎn ( ( 歸還 guī hái 3200 3200 萬 wàn 澳元 ào yuán ) ) 及 jí 重組 zhòng zǔ 情況 qíng kuàng
The partial reversal ($32M returned) and restructuring is not mentioned
The factual core is accurate - the Coalition did cut programs affecting reading and literature - but the framing omits important context about the nature of these programs and the circumstances surrounding their cancellation.
事實 shì shí 核心 hé xīn 準確 zhǔn què — — — — 聯盟 lián méng 確實 què shí 削減 xuē jiǎn 了 le 影響 yǐng xiǎng 閱讀 yuè dú 和文 hé wén 學 xué 的 de 計畫 jì huà — — — — 但 dàn 表述 biǎo shù 方式 fāng shì 遺漏 yí lòu 了關 le guān 於 yú 這些 zhè xiē 計畫 jì huà 性質 xìng zhì 及其 jí qí 取消 qǔ xiāo 背景 bèi jǐng 的 de 重要 zhòng yào 資訊 zī xùn 。 。
The Coalition did cancel/defund the Book Council of Australia and made significant cuts to Australia Council programs affecting literature and reading initiatives ($105 million in cuts forcing cancellation of ArtStart, Creative Communities Partnerships Initiative, Artists in Residence, and other programs).
然而 rán ér , , 該聲 gāi shēng 稱 chēng 將此 jiāng cǐ 簡單 jiǎn dān 表述 biǎo shù 為 wèi 「 「 終止 zhōng zhǐ Get Get Reading Reading ! ! 計畫 jì huà 」 」 , , 過度 guò dù 簡化 jiǎn huà 了 le 實際 shí jì 發生 fā shēng 的 de 情況 qíng kuàng : :
However, the claim presents this as simply "ending the Get Reading! program" which oversimplifies what occurred:
1.
The "Get Reading!" program name appears to be a misremembering or conflation of the Book Council of Australia and related Australia Council literature programs
2.
The context of budget deficit pressures and the controversial funding mechanism (taking money from the Australia Council) is omitted
4.
4 4 . . 未 wèi 提及 tí jí 部分 bù fèn 逆轉 nì zhuǎn ( ( 歸還 guī hái 3200 3200 萬 wàn 澳元 ào yuán ) ) 及 jí 重組 zhòng zǔ 情況 qíng kuàng
The partial reversal ($32M returned) and restructuring is not mentioned
The factual core is accurate - the Coalition did cut programs affecting reading and literature - but the framing omits important context about the nature of these programs and the circumstances surrounding their cancellation.
事實 shì shí 核心 hé xīn 準確 zhǔn què — — — — 聯盟 lián méng 確實 què shí 削減 xuē jiǎn 了 le 影響 yǐng xiǎng 閱讀 yuè dú 和文 hé wén 學 xué 的 de 計畫 jì huà — — — — 但 dàn 表述 biǎo shù 方式 fāng shì 遺漏 yí lòu 了關 le guān 於 yú 這些 zhè xiē 計畫 jì huà 性質 xìng zhì 及其 jí qí 取消 qǔ xiāo 背景 bèi jǐng 的 de 重要 zhòng yào 資訊 zī xùn 。 。