The Greens are urging the Morrison Government to listen to the live music and entertainment industry groups who are again today pleading for a government-backed insurance scheme.

Greens Arts Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who has laws before the parliament to establish a live performance insurance guarantee said:

“The Morrison Government’s failure to heed the live performance industry’s calls and warnings about the consequences of being uninsured has left it in an incredibly perilous position heading into the festival season.

Greens Spokesperson for Media and Communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young responded to the Morrison Government’s announcement today it will introduce new laws in relation to online trolls and defamation, calling for the legislation to be sent to a senate inquiry: 

“The Greens have been calling for greater regulation of the tech giants for a long time. There is clearly a big problem with abuse and slurs on social media. 

The Senate has today voted to suspend the senate inquiry initiated by the Morrison Government through a backdoor process to attack and undermine the independence of the ABC.

Greens media and communications spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young announced after the inquiry was established last week that the Greens would move to terminate the inquiry when parliament resumed. Today a Greens and Labor motion was backed by the crossbench suspending the inquiry.

The Greens and Labor have backed new laws for the establishment of a Live Performance Insurance Guarantee in a joint Senate committee report into the legislation released today.

Greens Arts Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who introduced the legislation in August said:

“The Greens, Labor, state and territory governments and the live performance industry all back this move which would help get shows back on the road.

“After close to two years of calls for it, an insurance guarantee for the live performance industry is well overdue.

Greens Spokesperson for Media and Deputy Chair of the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee Senator Sarah Hanson-Young commented on the establishment of a Senate Inquiry into the ABC by the government-controlled Legislation Committee:   

"This is a partisan attempt to use the Legislation Committee to undermine the independence of the public broadcaster.

"Establishing this inquiry is an abuse of process and power and the Greens will be moving to stop it when the senate resumes in a week.

The Greens will move in the Senate for the Morrison Government to establish a Federal Insurance Guarantee for the live performance and events industry. 

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Our live performance and events sector has taken another hit with half the country back in lockdown or living with restrictions more than a year into this Covid pandemic. 

Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Media Diversity Senator Sarah Hanson-Young will move for YouTube’s seven-day ban on Sky News to be investigated by the Committee.

Senator Hanson-Young said she will be requesting that representatives from Sky News, YouTube/Google and ACMA be called to give evidence on the ban and why the broadcasting regulator has failed to take any action.

“The obvious question is if the spread of misinformation isn’t allowed on the internet why is it on television broadcasts?

The Morrison Government must urgently deliver targeted and adequate funding support to the the Arts and Entertainment Industry, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said: 

“Australia’s Arts and Entertainment Industry has been pummelled by this crisis from the very beginning and it is still suffering. 

“The Morrison Government has failed to provide adequate support to help the Industry survive, to help workers put food on the table and pay rent, and to keep doors open in the future.

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts and Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young has backed calls today for greater support for the hard-hit industry:

"The Arts and Entertainment Industry was one of the first to be hit by Covid restrictions early last year and it continues to be pummelled by repeated lockdowns and social distancing requirements. 

"Despite being one of the hardest hit industries, the Morrison Government took months to deliver any support and it continues to underdeliver.