Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Press Freedoms, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, has vowed to look at the treatment of the press covering the protests in America after a shocking attack by police in Washington DC on a 7 News Australia crew.

“Police and riot squads punching and assaulting journalists who are doing their jobs is simply unacceptable. We have seen footage not just of Australian press being treated this way but local media who have been arrested, shot with rubber bullets, tear gassed and bashed by police across America,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The foreshadowing of a package for the arts and entertainment industry by the PM is welcome, but the devil will be in the detail, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the arts and entertainment industry has been pleading for Government intervention for months.

“The Prime Minister likes his sport, I hope today's reports are a sign he’s starting to recognise the arts and entertainment sector is important too. But the devil will be in the detail," Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Greens are calling on Treasurer Frydenberg to stop being Team ‘Some’ Australians, and immediately expand the JobKeeper program to businesses and workers in the arts and entertainment industry who have been left out.

“For months now the Government has refused to include the hundred of thousands of workers who have lost their jobs in the arts and entertainment industry in their JobKeeper package. They said they didn’t have the money,” Greens Arts and Media Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is calling on Treasurer Frydenberg to immediately extend JobKeeper to workers who have so far been left out.

“The massive revision on JobKeeper numbers today leaves the Government with no excuse not to extend the program to casuals, migrant workers and workers in the arts and entertainment industry who have been excluded from the program,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“There is now $60billion already budgeted for JobKeeper that can go to saving more jobs.

A green jobs recovery is desperately needed to stem the flow of jobs in South Australia which has the highest unemployment rate in the country according to jobs figures released today.

Greens Senator for South Australia and Spokesperson for Environment, Arts and Tourism, Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Not all of the 40,800 workers who lost their jobs in SA in April will automatically get them back when the COVID-19 crisis is over.

“We need a stimulus package that helps our key local industries recover – renewable energy, tourism and the arts.

The Greens will today launch their proposal for an economic stimulus package targeted at engaging the hundreds of thousands of artists and creatives who have lost their jobs during Covid-19, and the thousands more workers who have lost their jobs due to the flow on impact on hospitality and tourism.

Greens Spokesperson for Communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has today written to Minister Paul Fletcher asking him to extend the free-to-air broadcast licences for Community TV in Adelaide and Melbourne.

The current broadcast licences expire on June 30, after six short-term licence renewals which caused much instability for the sector leading to closures of stations in other capital cities.

Making tech giants like Facebook and Google pay for the content they take from Australian journalists and creators is a welcome, albeit long overdue, move by the Morrison Government, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for Media and Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young responded to the Morrison Government’s announcement on Australian media today:

“This announcement is another blow to the arts and entertainment industry.

“The Morrison Government must urgently put a rescue package on the table including money for an Australian Content Fund and local content requirements for streaming services.

The big streaming companies should play their part in helping fund Australia’s cultural recovery, the Greens say. The Party is also calling on the Australian Government to commit to an Australian Content Fund.

“The bigwigs of video streaming like Netflix, Stan and Amazon should be regulated to support Australian made stories and entertainment, Greens Arts & Media spokesperson Senator Hanson-Young said today.