With JobKeeper set for a $60b underspend, the Greens will introduce legislation to the Senate when Parliament resumes in June to extend JobSeeker and JobKeeper eligibility, as well as pushing for investment in jobs-rich recovery in arts and manufacturing.

The Greens are calling on Treasurer Frydenberg to stop being Team ‘Some’ Australians, and immediately expand the JobKeeper program to businesses and workers in the arts and entertainment industry who have been left out.

“For months now the Government has refused to include the hundred of thousands of workers who have lost their jobs in the arts and entertainment industry in their JobKeeper package. They said they didn’t have the money,” Greens Arts and Media Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is calling on Treasurer Frydenberg to immediately extend JobKeeper to workers who have so far been left out.

“The massive revision on JobKeeper numbers today leaves the Government with no excuse not to extend the program to casuals, migrant workers and workers in the arts and entertainment industry who have been excluded from the program,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“There is now $60billion already budgeted for JobKeeper that can go to saving more jobs.

The Greens will today launch their proposal for an economic stimulus package targeted at engaging the hundreds of thousands of artists and creatives who have lost their jobs during Covid-19, and the thousands more workers who have lost their jobs due to the flow on impact on hospitality and tourism.

Greens Spokesperson for Communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has today written to Minister Paul Fletcher asking him to extend the free-to-air broadcast licences for Community TV in Adelaide and Melbourne.

The current broadcast licences expire on June 30, after six short-term licence renewals which caused much instability for the sector leading to closures of stations in other capital cities.

Making tech giants like Facebook and Google pay for the content they take from Australian journalists and creators is a welcome, albeit long overdue, move by the Morrison Government, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for Media and Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young responded to the Morrison Government’s announcement on Australian media today:

“This announcement is another blow to the arts and entertainment industry.

“The Morrison Government must urgently put a rescue package on the table including money for an Australian Content Fund and local content requirements for streaming services.

Today’s High Court decision on the AFP raid of journalist Annika Smethurst confirms why Australia needs a Media Freedom Act, the Greens say.

Greens spokesperson for Media and Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Press Freedoms, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said while the High Court’s decision that the warrant was invalid is welcome, the decision did little to protect press freedoms.

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: