Industry debates deregulation on Entertainment Visas
Actors Susie Porter, Geoff Morrell and John Howard met with key senators to campaign against changes to Temporary Visa rules, but Producers call for cuts to red tape.
- Published by David Knox
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Industry groups including Screen Producers Australia, FreeTV Australia, ASTRA, Foxtel and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance have made submissions to the government this week over the question of visas for foreign actors and crew.
The MEAA warns changes to the Temporary Employment (Entertainment) visa (Subclass 420) and the Foreign Actors Certification Scheme could undermine local production.
Zoe Angus, director of MEAA’s Actors Equity, said, “The government is trying to wind back visa requirements for overseas actors as part of its agenda to ‘cut red tape’ and deregulate overseas worker visas. If they succeed, opportunities for talented young Australian performers and crew will diminish.
“We all know Australia produces great actors and technicians. But they don’t come from nowhere. International stars like Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Rose Byrne started their acting careers as unknowns in TV and film productions supported by taxpayer funding.”
Yesterday actors Susie Porter, Geoff Morrell and John Howard met with key senators to campaign against changes.
Susie Porter said: “Local actors like me need every possible opportunity to be cast in local productions. It’s how we get our training, it’s how we make a name for ourselves, it’s how we tell Australian stories.”
John Howard said: “The current guidelines don’t prevent big names from coming here. That’s not their purpose. What they do is make sure that a production funded by Australian taxpayers gives job opportunities to Australian performers. Productions with a lot of foreign finance can – and do – hire whoever they want. ”
But Screen Producers Australia says that the reforms will reduce unnecessary red tape at a time when incentives and subsidies alone no longer meet current levels.
“We are looking to Government for sensible reforms that embrace simplicity in design and structural flexibility,” said Matthew Deaner, Executive Director of Screen Producers Australia.
“This should be seen as an opportunity, not a threat. The local industry clearly benefits from the international engagement as our talented technicians, performers and creators are working globally as a result. In return, the Australian industry is significantly larger than it would be if we were purely domestically oriented. This is key to preserving wages and employment conditions,” he says.
Producers are recommending that the requirement to consult with the relevant union be removed to align the Subclass 420 with other temporary work visas.
“The question the industry needs to ask itself is whether it wants to be a small inward-looking industry or an ever expanding industry, proudly creating Australian screen content for the world,” Deaner says.
“The key here is Australian Content. The world is increasingly looking to us as they see a vibrant industry bursting with talent both in front of and behind the cameras.
“Sensible reforms that reduce red tape will help us to grasp the opportunities at hand while at the same time, keeping in place those other existing safeguards that ensure Australian content and Australian actors remain front and centre on our screens.”
Independent Senator for South Australia, Nick Xenophon, said, “These rules have been crucial in developing the Australian film and television sector and making a viable career pathway for many thousands of talented Australians. The problem with the Government’s so called war on red tape is that the real casualties will be Australian actors and crew.”
4 Responses
The idea that you create a strong local industry by sacking local workers and importing them is silly. It may help with export sales of programmes overseas.
It is also silly that it will cost a lot of jobs in local content for Australian actors. Most US and UK actors are terrible at Australian accents. A lot of Australian actors are trained in UK and US accents and given the large numbers of them are working there so it is a sily to complain about few OS actors working here where they are the best person for the job.
This is most about the MEAA trying to hold onto its control over the industry and parochialism that Xenophon is whipping up for his own political advantage.
All this talk of deregulation….Baloney! What’s really needed is far stricter regulation to protect what little we still have, or else we’ll be swamped with imported rubbish and trashy gutter-level “reality” shows that employ and make stars of unworthy talentless air-heads.
Does this only apply to those who get Government subsidies. For example, say a Australian or International company, creates a TV show, they fund it all with no help from Screen Australia or any tax concessions, does this mean they can employee all people from overseas or is there still a requirement for a % of local workers, even though no tax payers money is being used.
I keep forgetting there is an actor called John Howard, so imagine my surprise when I read his comments here 😉
Basically “red tape” is Liberal-speak for “Australians cost too much to employ and so CEOs are only getting paid a couple of million each rather the gazillions they are due…simply because. So to make everything cheaper we are going to import basically slave labour from overseas. This way you, the purchaser, doesn’t get anything cheaper but company profits soar – straight into the pockets of CEOs and wealthy stock holders (note: mum and dad investors will miss out because weird rules companies make are not “red tape”)”.
Phew! That’s a mouthful! No wonder they just say “red tape” 😛