My 4th letter to Tony Burke requesting evidence in support of my being banned - also ignored

 The Hon. Tony Burke MP

Minister for the Arts

GPO Box 594

Canberra,  ACT 2601                                                                                  21st January 2026

 

Dear Minister

re Screen Australia

 

Following on from my letters to you of 20^th and 27^th. November 2025, acknowledgement of the receipt of which I have not received. This seems to be par for the course with Members of Parliament these days – constituents being, it seems, an annoyance rather than voters whose questions, concerns or complaints should be addressed. 

 

The days are gone when the word ‘Honourable’ in front of a name meant something.

 

Unlike the Screen Australia Board, the words ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’ mean a good deal to me. In the interests of being true in action to the meanings of both words:

 

As well as being a filmmaker I am an occasional journalist and a writer who is currently documenting my ‘adventures’ in the film industry since I joined it in 1972 with the production of my first film. An autobiography.

 

My book will (must be) factually correct and, in its final writing stages will invite all those whose names appear in it to verify that what I write is true, in accordance with the facts. The most salient of these as far as the end of my career is concerned will be available on my blog to which I will keep adding vis a vis my official banning by Screen Australia in 2012 and the Screen Australia threat to ban me again in September 2025.

 

All that I wrote in my letters regarding my banning by Screen Australia since 2012 is verifiably true, accurate, if anyone within your Ministry were to take a closer look and ask the right questions. This is not going to happen, I know, but my invitation (yet again) is on record, and I will place it there again:

 

Please provide me with one paragraph, one sentence or even one word in my correspondence that is evidence that I intimidated, harassed or placed at risk members of Screen Australia’s staff 13 years ago.

 

And, given the threat made to me by the Screen Australia Board that I may be banned again (http://jamesricketson.blogspot.com/2026/01/endemic-lack-of-transparency-and.html) please provide me with evidence of one paragraph, one sentence or even one word of my correspondence in 2025 that could warrant such a punitive response?

 

Why does any of this matter? Quite apart from the reputational damage done to me that continues to this day, I can and will provide affidavits in court if need be from fellow filmmakers who have, this past 13 years, been reluctant to collaborate with someone who is likely to behave with them as he has done, according to Screen Australia, with members of staff; behaviour that I would be loathe to tolerate in a fellow filmmaker who wished to collaborate with me.

 

 cheers

 

James Ricketson