South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has firmly denied exerting political pressure on the Adelaide Festival's board to disinvite a prominent Palestinian-Australian speaker, even as he publicly endorsed the controversial decision.
Premier's Stance and Legal Constraints
The board of the Adelaide Festival removed Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from the Adelaide Writers' Week programme on Thursday. They cited 'cultural sensitivity' in the aftermath of the Bondi attack as the reason for the cancellation.
Premier Malinauskas stated that legislation explicitly prevents him from directing the festival board. 'I support the intent of this legislation, and have made it clear at every juncture that I would not seek to direct the board,' he said.
However, he confirmed that when asked for his opinion, he was 'happy to make it clear that the state government did not support the inclusion of Dr Abdel-Fattah' in the programme.
Cultural Leaders Demand Reinstatement
The premier's comments follow a significant backlash from within South Australia's arts community. On Saturday, eleven prominent cultural figures sent a letter to Mr Malinauskas and the festival board demanding Abdel-Fattah's reinstatement.
The letter was drafted by Rob Brookman, a former artistic and executive director of the festival with decades of experience. It was co-signed by ten other former senior festival figures, including Neil Armfield, Jo Dyer, Jim Sharman, and Anthony Steel.
They labelled the cancellation a 'grave mistake' that has brought both the festival and Writers' Week into disrepute. The letter argued that revoking the invitation creates an appalling and direct link between Abdel-Fattah's presence and the Bondi massacre.
'Wickedness thrives in darkness and prejudice thrives in ignorance born of silence,' the letter stated. 'The open discussion of ideas, beliefs, facts and opinion is ultimately the pathway to community cohesion. Silencing and censorship are not.'
A Stark Contrast to Previous Principles
The letter also questioned the board's apparent abandonment of its support for the director of Adelaide Writers' Week, Louise Adler. Adler, who is preparing for her fourth festival starting on 28 February, had previously defended the inclusion of Palestinian speakers in the 2023 programme.
Notably, in 2023, Premier Malinauskas himself defended the festival's independence. He revealed he had been under immense pressure to cut funding but refused, warning that government interference in speaker selection was a dangerous precedent.
'What path does that take us down?' he asked at the time. 'It's a path to a future where politicians decide what is culturally appropriate … a path, in fact, that leads us into the territory of Putin's Russia.'
The cultural leaders' letter pointedly referenced this past stance, stating the board's reversal is 'antithetical to what the festival and writers week have and should stand for.' They urged an 'about-face', arguing it would cauterise the growing damage to the institution.
The Adelaide Festival board and Louise Adler were contacted for comment following the latest developments.
