The big streaming companies should play their part in helping fund Australia’s cultural recovery, the Greens say. The Party is also calling on the Australian Government to commit to an Australian Content Fund.

“The bigwigs of video streaming like Netflix, Stan and Amazon should be regulated to support Australian made stories and entertainment, Greens Arts & Media spokesperson Senator Hanson-Young said today.

The half a billion dollars for the Captain Cook celebrations and expansion of the Australian War Memorial should be redirected to arts and culture projects that will benefit Australians now out of work because of COVID-19, the Greens say. 

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

The Treasurer is in the box seat to fix the problems with the JobKeeper program that has locked workers in the arts, entertainment and events industries out of the $130bn package, the Greens say.
The Greens moved in the Senate last night to amend the Coronavirus legislation to ensure casuals employed less than 12 months, freelancers and other businesses with work structures unique to the arts industry were covered but the Government and One Nation voted it down.

With workers in the arts, entertainment and event industry largely left out of the JobKeeper program despite being one of the hardest hit by the Coronavirus crisis, the Greens will move an amendment to the legislation when it comes before the Senate today to plug these gaps and call for a tailored package for the sector.

“Australia’s arts, creative and entertainment sector has been smashed by COVID-19, with events cancelled, productions closed and projects shut down,” Greens Spokesperson for the Arts and Tourism Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Morrison Government’s refusal to change the JobKeeper program to include more casuals will leave workers in the arts, entertainment and creative industry behind and jeopardise the recovery of the sector after COVID-19, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Government was being wilfully ignorant to how the sector operates and its work structures.

The release of funding for regional media outlets is welcome but much more than $5million is needed and big tech must be forced to pay for content if public interest journalism is going to survive, the Greens say.
The Greens have been calling on Communications Minister Paul Fletcher to use the Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund to support struggling regional media outlets who’ve been pushed to the brink with COVID-19.
Greens Spokesperson for Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

The Australia Council Four Year Funding for Organisations announcement today is a blow for our arts sector at a time when they are already suffering so much and the industry needs an urgent targeted package, the Greens say.

The Federal Government dropped the ball in its response to the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry and must implement urgent reforms if Australian media is to play on after the COVID-19 crisis, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said media reform was long overdue before the Coronavirus crisis which has now pushed regional and community media outlets to the brink, with some already shutting their doors.

The Federal Government must urgently unlock the Regional and Small Publishers Jobs and Innovation Package to save regional and community newspapers during the COVID-19 crisis and reverse funding cuts to the ABC which is now more important than ever, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for Media Senator Sarah Hanson-Young wrote to the Minister for Communications a week ago asking him to intervene to help prevent the closure of regional media outlets but is yet to see or hear anything from him.

The Federal Government’s Job Keeper payment rules fail many in the arts, entertainment and creative industry which employs many casuals and seasonal workers, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said while the payment is welcome, she is extremely worried for casual employees who won’t meet the threshold 12-months employed to qualify for the Job Keeper payment.