More than a thousand entertainment workers who have lost their jobs but do not qualify for JobKeeper have been let down by a lack of leadership from the Premier – who is also the Arts Minister.
Stood-down staff at government enterprises the Festival Centre, Entertainment Centre, Convention Centre and Coopers Stadium are ineligible for the federal JobKeeper payment, leaving them in a devastating financial position.
Labor is calling for the workers to be granted the JobKeeper payment, and if that doesn’t happen, for Steven Marshall to step in to support them.
Under questioning on ABC Radio Adelaide today, it was revealed the Arts Minister hasn’t raised the plight of these workers at National Cabinet and hasn’t fought for their jobs.
“I didn’t mention those individual organisations, that wasn’t the commitment ... I asked whether there was an appetite from the federal government ... but there was no appetite for that. I asked the other states if they were moving on that and they said ‘no’.”
The workers are paid from the proceeds of shows, not from taxpayers funds. So when there are no shows, they aren’t paid. Yet they are still wrongly being counted as public servants for the purpose of getting the JobKeeper payment.
Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for the Arts Jayne Stinson:
It isn’t leadership to ask a few vague questions and only act if other states do.
As the Minister for Arts, the Premier should have raised the plight of these thousand workers many weeks ago.
Instead, eight weeks after massive job losses began in the entertainment sector, the Premier has admitted he hasn’t done anything to fight for these workers.
Arts and entertainment workers deserve more. They deserve a Minister who will fight for their jobs.