Free Trade gets the show on the road

Date: 30 May 2003

Performers Gary Sweet, Corinne Grant, and Alan Fletcher, cartoonist Ron Tandberg, and journalists Claire Miller, and Virginia Haussegger will join Australian performers and media identities in Melbourne on June 1 to speak out about safeguarding Australia's creative industries. The Free to be Australian campaign launch will set the stage on how free trade agreements could put Australia's media and culture at risk.

Also joining the panel will be many of Melbourne's senior journalists and cast members from Hair, MDA, Stingers, Blue Heelers, Neighbours, and The Secret Life of Us while orchestra members of Orchestra Victoria and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will get brassed off and blow their trumpets for the cause.

While the line-up sounds like one big glittering showcase, they will be there to publicise an issue that could cut through the very heart of Australia's talent pool.

" The media, entertainment and arts industries are the engine rooms of our culture and they are at risk of being squashed by bigger and more powerful players, " said Christopher Warren, Federal Secretary, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.

"The Australian Government is currently negotiating free trade agreements that could undermine Australia's right to regulate and support these industries," he said.

Currently industry regulations that support cultural industries in Australia include local content regulations for television and radio, support for public broadcasters, regulation of media ownership to promote diversity and restrict foreign ownership, and subsidies for the performing arts.

Open and unregulated trade puts all this at risk, which also puts at risk our stories, our local culture and the skills developed by local writers, journalists, actors and technicians.
"Our culture is important. Too important to let trade agreements take away the freedom to tell our stories, " said Mr Warren.

"One of the frightening characteristics of trade talks is that the final agreement will be binding on all future governments," he said. " There's no going back."

In launching the campaign the Alliance hopes that the government's commitment to support and protect its own culture will be honoured by excluding media, entertainment and the arts from all free trade agreements.
The Free to be Australian campaign launch will take place on Sunday, 1 June from 11am, at the BMW The Edge, Federation Square overlooking the Yarra in Melbourne. A website www.free2baustralian.org.au was also launched this week. The website will be used to spearhead an email and postcard campaign, and features a document library, e-bulletins and background briefings.

For further information

Contact:	Christopher Warren
Union:	MEAA
Phone:	02 9333 0999
Contact Mobile:	0411 757 668
Fax:	02 9333 0933
Email:	info@free2baustralian.org.au
WWW:	www.free2baustralian.org.au

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