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.
"Well this excuse no longer stands and the Morrison Government should now fund a specific arts and creative jobs package, before more people and businesses go under.
"The Treasurer has $60billion, already budgeted to be spent on JobKeeper, to put towards keeping more Australian workers in their jobs.
"The Greens pushed for a wage subsidy at the beginning of this crisis and when Parliament resumes we will fight for the $60billion to go to workers left out in the cold by the Morrison Government.
"Treasurer Frydenberg keeps claiming he is Team Australia, yet he excluded more than a million Australians from the JobKeeper program. In reality the Treasurer is just Team 'Some' Australians.
"The arts and entertainment industry has been one of the hardest hit by coronavirus restrictions and will be one of the last to recover, yet the government has left many artists and creatives without support due to the nature of the work.
"The Government needs to hit reset on JobKeeper, and it needs to deliver an arts and entertainment specific package, which it clearly has the financial capacity to do it.
"The Greens have pitched a $2.3billion package to help the arts and entertainment industry recover. The Creative Australia policy includes funding to get our artists, musicians, writers, creators, and crews back producing content for our screens, theatres, live music venues, festivals and galleries.
"This isn't just an investment in arts and entertainment but our tourism and hospitality industries too. It's good for jobs and our social fabric."
