The Morrison Government's long-awaited package for the arts and entertainment industry, announced today, is too little, very late, the Greens say.
Greens spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who has been calling for a specific industry package for four months after COVID-19 restrictions shutdown arts and entertainment in Australia basically overnight, said:
"After watching the demise of the arts and entertainment industry for four months, the Morrison Government has finally managed to find some funding to help it.
"At this point, any money will be welcomed by an industry on its knees. But $250million, including loans, falls well short of what is needed to save jobs and generate economic stimulus. The industry itself was calling for a package of close to a billion dollars.
"The Government found $700m for their home HomeBuilder scheme. There's no excuse for giving the arts and entertainment sector, that has been hit hardest by the COVID19 anything less.
"More Australians have lost their jobs in the creative industries due to COVID than those in building and construction; however Scott Morrison has given the building industry more than double the support. It seems giving granite benchtops to wealthy homeowners is more important to the PM than saving a generation of Australia's artists and creatives.
"The arts and entertainment industry is worth $112billion a year to our economy. Any investment in the industry is an investment in jobs, the economy and our cultural capital as well as our tourism and hospitality sectors."
