Education Minister Simon Birmingham, has come out guns blazing at Australian creatives, with Fairfax reporting that the Senator has branded pursuing a career in the creative sector a “lifestyle choice”.

The bizarre claim comes after the government decided that from the start of next year, they’ll be cutting exisiting loan schemes to students choosing to study in creative fields such as performing arts, professional writing, and jewellery design – as well as hundreds of other courses.

The logic is that these courses don’t guarantee jobs post-study, and that “there are far too many courses that are being subsidised that are used simply to boost enrolments”.

But while job vacancies are dropping for engineering graduates, it seems that the Government is only cutting its losses for students studying the arts.

Prominent musicians across the country are coming out fuming with rage over the minister’s decisions, with hip-hop artist Illy calling Birmingham unfit to be Education Minister.

Tuka from Thundamentals has even linked the funding cuts to other policies of the Liberal Party such as “detain[ing] and tortur[ing] refugees”. But what Tuka and Fairfax amazingly point out is that due to loan cuts, it will only be the wealthy who will be able to affordably pursue an education in the creative industry.

Because, you know, no one that is poor has ever created fantastic art *cough* Van Gogh *cough* Edgar Allan Poe *cough* every single band ever *cough*.

With an apparent lack of job opportunity post-studies, Aussie musos generated over $300 million over the past year. But don’t let the facts ruin a good story, minister.

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