The Greens have promised to change Centrelink rules so that creative activities by emerging artists will be recognised as a legitimate arts activity that will meet Centrelink’s “mutual obligation” requirements.
The $12 million plan will allow artists to collect benefits.
“Artists everywhere are having to work several jobs in order to survive and that’s effectively compromising their ability to develop their art form,” Greens leader Christine Milne said yesterday.
The Greens are demonstrating the need for this by referring to the fact that the live music industry is worth $1.2 billion a year, but the “normal annual wage” for a musician was $8100.