With submissions to the new government’s cultural policy in full swing, one of the more discussed proposals is for a minimum wage for musicians. The proposal, brought froward by Musicians Australia, proposes a $250 payment per musician for all gigs with any public funding attached.

Dr Sam Whiting, a lecturer in Creative Industries at University of South Australia and author of a recent Age op-ed in favour of the payments, chats to The Grapevine about the benefits the minimum wage could have on musicians, artists and venues. With welfare payments not keeping up with the rising cost of living, and ticket prices remaining stagnant, conditions for musicians have been declining for decades. Sam argues that a conversation around a minimum wage for musicians could spark real change in the sector.