Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to table an explanatory memorandum relating to the bill.

Leave granted.

I table the explanatory memorandum and seek leave to have my second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

I rise to support the Live Performance Federal Insurance Guarantee Bill 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the Australian arts and entertainment industry. When restrictions and lockdowns first came into place in early 2021, much of the industry was shut down over night.

In the almost 18 months since then, the industry has had to contend with ongoing border closures both international and domestic, lockdowns and restrictions on crowd numbers. These necessary health measures have been crippling for an industry that relies on live and in person events.

From music festivals and concerts to gallery exhibitions, comedy shows, cinemas and theatre, the arts have always been about bringing us together. Now that we are unable to gather in large numbers in most of the country, this industry that was once worth more than $112 billion to the Australian economy is struggling to stay afloat.

One of the biggest issues facing the industry is the market failure when it comes to insurance for live events. Due to the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the snap border closures, lockdowns and crowd restrictions, it is impossible for live events to get insurance to cover cancellation due to COVID-19. Without insurance, it is impossible to plan for live events.

Sadly, throughout 2020 and 2021 we have seen thousands of live events cancelled. In April, the Byron Bay Bluefest was forced to shutdown just hours before the gates were due to open due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the area. Similarly, in Victoria, the Rising festival that had more than 130 events planned was shutdown at the last minute. Across every state and territory, we have seen live events big and small cancelled due to COVID-19. Without insurance, organisers of live events like these are at risk of being left millions of dollars out of pocket.

This bill requires that a Federal Insurance Guarantee Fund be established for the live performance industry. It requires the Treasurer to put in place a fund to underwrite an insurance scheme that would address the market failure in the industry. It is the role of government to step in when markets fail to protect our important industries. This isn't a handout, it's an Insurance Fund, that could be paid for by the industry, but underwritten by the government.

A Federal Insurance Guarantee is supported by a wide range of artists and peak bodies across the industry including APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, Live Performance Australia, Live Entertainment Industry Forum, Live Nation, the Australian Festival Association, Jack River, Tina Arena, Claire Bowditch, Alex Lahey.

A similar scheme has been in place for the screen industry since June 2020 and has been successful in allowing screen producers to plan and execute major film productions in Australia without the risk of serious financial impacts from COVID-19 outbreaks or restrictions.

The Morrison Government has repeatedly failed the arts and entertainment industry throughout this pandemic. They were incredibly slow to act to provide emergency funding when the lockdowns began and even slower to roll out the funding after it was announced. They the huge proportion of arts and entertainment workers who are casual and work gig to gig, high and dry when they were left out of the JobKeeper scheme. Now, they are failing to act on the call for an insurance guarantee.

This bill will provide the arts and entertainment industry some of the certainty they need to start planning for live events and a pathway to a new normal after COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions ease.

I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.