STILL NO MONEY FLOWING FOR THE ARTS SECTOR

It has been five weeks since Scott Morrison announced his much-delayed package for Australia’s arts and entertainment sector – but still not a single dollar has gone to those who need it.

This Government was dragged kicking and screaming into announcing a package for the arts after stubbornly insisting - for more than 100 days - that there was no need for it.

But more than a month after they supposedly saw sense, artists and entertainers still have no idea how to even access these funds.

While Scott Morrison and Paul Fletcher have moved on to other things, Australia’s creative workers don’t even know whether they are eligible to apply for grants or concessional loans.

This is typical of this Government: the delivery never matches the announcement, the reality never matches the promise.

Australia’s arts and entertainment sector workers deserve better than this. They are the makers, keepers and producers of Australian stories, and they have helped us to get through this crisis.

The arts and entertainment sector was one of the first to be shut down by government regulations put in place to fight COVID-19 and it will be one of the last sectors to return to normal.

The situation has become even more dire with the second lockdown in Victoria – which is hitting Victorian creators hard but also having knock-on effects for the arts community across the country.
 
It took more than 100 days for the Morrison government to finally act on the desperate calls from the sector for help. How many more days will they have to wait to get the support they were promised?

THURSDAY, 30 JULY 2020