Australian senator calls for sale of Pollock to pay off debt, by the BBC.

An Australian senator is facing a backlash for arguing the country should sell the Jackson Pollock masterpiece Blue Poles to pay off national debt.

The trophy painting was controversially bought for A$1.3m in 1973 but this year was valued at A$350m (£214m; $265m). … Blue Poles was bought by the government four decades ago for what was a world-record price and one that caused a huge controversy. …

James Paterson, Australia’s youngest senator at 28, also proposed ending state funding for sport and the arts. … “Given that there’s a lot of private funding for professional sport, I don’t think it’s really necessary for us to be funding it from our taxes.”

The US does not fund its olympic team out of government funds, yet wins nearly every time. Rock bans don’t need government funding.