When Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke addressed journalists on the steps of Sydney Opera House last week at the sector’s tax reform summit, his opening statements revealed a thing or two about his government’s approach to arts policy evaluation. Policy evaluation: ReviveIncluded in Burke’s opening remarks were nods to Labor’s National Cultural Policy, Revive – a policy he noted was now three years into its five year cycle, and therefore almost ready to be reviewed. ‘Year on year [comparing 2022-23 to 2023-24] we’ve got a 6.6% growth in economic activity in the arts sector,’ Burke said. We’ve done some calculations – and it’s not about moneyRather, Burke’s speech led with the arts’ economic performance indicators based on the ABS’s statistical studies. As the Minister himself said last week, ‘It’s called a cultural policy for a reason.