A generous arts funding program unveiled by ACT Labor yesterday easily trumped the offerings from the Liberals and the Greens, on a day when all parties showed off their pre-election pledges for major arts facilities.
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Labor promised nearly $6 million over four years to develop nation-leading facilities, including funds to investigate the feasibility of a new major theatre for Canberra with up to 2000 seats.
The pledge from Labor also included $4 million to develop the Kingston Arts Precinct and upgrade Ainslie Arts Centre and a further $1 million over two years to upgrade the Gorman House Arts Centre.
An additional $10,000 would be made available for poetry slam competitions and workshops in north and south secondary schools and money to bring back the Fringe Festival to Canberra's CBD next year.
The Canberra Liberals' plan was leaner - outlining $3 million of spending, but a plan which also prioritised the Kingston Arts Precinct.
Leader Zed Seselja committed $2.4 million to enable the Cultural Facilities Corporation to develop the Kingston Arts Precinct, including a purpose-built facility for Megalo Print Studio and Gallery.
''This will ensure the heritage value of the Fitters Workshop is maintained and Megalo has space in the precinct,'' he said.
The Liberals' piggy bank also has an extra $100,000 every year for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and an extra $50,000 every year to extend arts grants funding, with a focus on local artists.
Mr Seselja said he would relocate Arts ACT to the Economic Development Directorate, to recognise the contribution of the arts to the ACT economy, and develop a ''Creative Industry Plan''. However no monetary figures were attached to those pledges.
Labor's Minister for Arts Joy Burch described the Liberals' plan as ''mean and miserable'' yesterday, but Mr Seselja said it reflected an appreciation of the arts.
''This plan focuses on supporting local artists and fostering the economic benefits of the arts,'' Mr Seselja said.
Ms Burch said Canberrans loved the arts and deserved more from their facilities.
She said the Canberra Theatre was limited by its seating and backstage capacity. ''The capacity limits us in the type of productions we can have visit here,'' she said.
The board of the Cultural Facilities Corporation identified the constraints in a report on its website in its 2010 response to the Review of the Arts in Canberra.
It said the ACT was missing out on arts experiences such as performances by the Australian Ballet and main stage productions by Opera Australia.
''There is no scope within the existing facility to re-work the Canberra Theatre to be in keeping with current touring needs and capacities, let alone the requirements of the future,'' the document said.
The Greens unveiled its plan for the arts - $1 million over four years for communications and marketing services for the Canberra arts community. It also pledged $200,000 to fund extra grants for local artists to design and fabricate a series of creative and unique bike racks for installation around the city.
It promised to investigate extending the government's casual public liability insurance scheme to other suitable venues on a cost recovery basis, but attached no dollar value to that plan.
The Greens have previously announced a $1.3 million commitment to the Kingston Arts Precinct, including a purpose-built printmaking studio for Megalo, $700,000 to upgrade the Fitters Workshop and $40,000-a-year recurrent funding for managing the multi-use venue.
