Cr McCloy told the ABC this week that the art gallery should sell some of their paintings and "stump up their own money" for the proposed redevelopment. He pointed to community groups and institutions in Newcastle that need funding, but said none of them have the assets that the gallery does in their $80 million collection.
Mr Crean criticised the state government for their refusal to commit $7 million dollars to match the $7 million committed by local and federal government for the project. "I think that's a pretty poor effort on the part of the state government. If we're going to invest in our communities all levels of government are going to have to contribute."
He also criticised NSW Minister for the Arts George Souris for failing to advocate for funding for the gallery, saying that that Mr Souris should "fight like I've fought for the arts" and that ministers always have to push their treasurers for funding for their portfolios.
The Minister dismissed Jeff McCloy's alternative gallery redevelopment proposal and reiterated his full support for the original $21 million proposal that the council submitted to the federal government.
He said he had approved the original proposal on the basis that a partnership between the three levels of government existed.
"Now it seems you've got the NSW government won't honour its part of the equation and you've got the current mayor saying 'Well forget about the proposal that was put up by the community before, authorised and approved. We don't want it but we want your money. Well that's not on."
He described the alternate proposal unveiled by Jeff McCloy last week, which would expand the gallery into the library building and shift the library into the city's former post office as a departure from what the Newcastle community had helped to initiate.
"All the current mayor is doing is letting the NSW Government off the hook and wanting to pocket Commonwealth money. That ain't on."
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