The Australian Greens' are tonight launching a policy platform to help young and emerging artists earn an income from their art and reward all artists for their success. The launch will take place as Senator Milne opens an exhibition of Charles Blackman's work.

"The Greens recognise the wonderful role artists play in our society, helping us to understand our world, bringing us together as a community and challenging us to see it from a different perspective," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.

"For Australia's celebrated creative culture to flourish, we need to help young and emerging artists make ends meet and reward all artists when they achieve success."

The Greens' Supporting Young and Emerging Artists policy would:
• recognise artistic work for the purposes of meeting social security requirements;
• establish a $3 million Artists Fund to ensure artists are paid for their exhibitions and performances, which will be particularly beneficial for young and emerging artists; and
• reinstate the policy of the Australian Parliament to purchase art works from young and emerging Australian artists.

"So many young artists are forced to juggle jobs to make ends meet while developing their work in their spare time. This crimps their creativity and makes it that much harder to ever succeed.

"These policies are designed to help young and emerging artists make time to be creative and earn a fair income for what they create - art which gives something of themselves to all of us.

"By giving young and emerging artists a leg up at the beginning of their careers we can help them develop their voice, build a profile and stand on their own two feet."

In addition to this policy, the Greens are today announcing that they will oppose the Cooper Review's recommendation to remove art from Self-Managed Superannuation Funds.

"The question has to be asked, why is it OK to invest in high risk shares but not in artists?

"Ensuring that art can still qualify for DIY super investment will help keep the art market and the creative culture in Australia alive and kicking, especially for new and emerging and indigenous artists whose work particularly benefits from this ongoing investment."

The Greens are also restating their commitment to Strengthening Resale Royalty Rights for visual artists after unsuccessfully attempting to amend the legislation as it passed through the Senate last year.

"The royalty needs to be payable on first resale or artists will be waiting decades to see a cent.

"With only 8% of artworks resold in the last ten years, it will take half a century for even 50% of eligible artworks to be resold. In addition, the delay means the right cannot be reciprocated with sales overseas, meaning artists miss out on all royalties from overseas resales.

"It is also critical to help indigenous artists and small galleries meet the administrative challenges the resale royalty brings with it."

The three policy papers are available on request.