Petition Launched To Include Arts Sector In JobKeeper: 'The Government Has Failed To Act'

A petition calling for JobKeeper payments to be made to arts workers has been opened through the Parliament Of Australia. 

The petition comes after months of campaigning for the music and arts industries to be supported through JobKeeper payments following mass venue shutdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic and has already gained over 10,500 signatures.

"The arts and entertainment industry has been devastated by shutdowns caused by the Coronavirus crisis. It was the first sector to be hit, when gatherings of 500 people or more were banned, and is likely to be one of the last sectors to be released from restrictions," read the petition submitted by Chloe Dallimore. 

- READ MORE: Minister Slammed For Explanation On Arts Workers Not Covered By JobKeeper
- READ MORE: Over 1000 Artists, Venues & Music Businesses Sign Open Letter Calling For Govt Support

"Data recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows fewer than half of businesses in the sector were operating by the end of March. After years of cuts and neglect, the government has failed to act to save the arts and entertainment sector. Although JobKeeper will help some, there are major gaps in coverage for freelancers and contractors which the government has failed to address. These gaps affect the vast majority of artists and a very significant number of technical workers. 

"The Treasurer has the ability to fix this without legislation, and he must do so immediately. The government must also deliver the sector a tailored fiscal relief package to ensure its ongoing viability. We need large and small companies and venues to still exist following the crisis so they can continue to employ Australian artists. Australian artists are the keepers of Australian stories. They give so much to our country and to the Australian identity – we cannot do without them."

"We therefore ask the House to Extend the JobKeeper payment to arts and entertainment sector workers who are currently ineligible; and Deliver the arts and entertainment sector a tailored and properly targeted relief package to ensure its ongoing viability."

Shadow Minister for the Arts Tony Burke has again shared his concerns about the lack of inclusion for arts workers in the JobKeeper package. 

"In recent days, we've heard comments from the minister for communications and the arts claiming that the government has been doing enough and — referring to the arts sector — claiming that the JobKeeper package is somehow comprehensive," said Burke in Parliament. 

"Today anyone who looked at the papers would have seen an open letter from a series of leading musicians. A whole lot of the publicity has gone to names like Jimmy Barnes and Tina Arena, but it goes right through to artists like Thelma Plum and Alex Lahey, and they all say the same thing: for people who work gig to gig, event to event, festival of festival, whether they're the person holding the spotlight or the person in the spotlight, under this pandemic, their jobs have been shut down and they are ineligible for JobKeeper. They are workers and should be treated as such.

"In the same way some 14,348 Australians have been part of the great Australian binge, where they put down the streaming material that they enjoy — the great Australian dramas — they have said, 'The government needs to act to support the arts and entertainment sector.' These individuals are workers. 

"Today, on the official parliamentary web page, we now have from Chloe Dallimore, the leader of Actors Equity, a petition calling on the government finally to act. They are workers and they need to be looked after."

Head here to sign the petition.