As part of a national celebrity selling campaign, Michael Rose will be joined by politicians and other corporate executives, including Allens chief operating officer (COO) Craig Wallace, to sell The Big Issue magazine across the country this week.

Coinciding with Anti-Poverty Week, the campaign spotlights those Big Issue vendors who would otherwise struggle to find work, including those experiencing homelessness, mental illness, disability and long-term unemployment.

The Big Issue CEO Steven Persson said the not-for-profit magazine was an attractive work option for the disadvantaged because vendors can choose their own hours, days and periods of work.

"Selling the magazine can also be difficult and lonely at times," he said, adding that he hopes the involvement of high-profile Australians will lift the profile of vendors and raise public understanding.

Vendors buy copies of The Big Issue magazine for $2.50 and sell them on the streets for $5, keeping the difference.

Since the magazine's launch in 1996, more than six million magazines have been sold, generating $13.2 million in income for vendors.

MPs Andrew Robb and Adam Bandt will take to the street alongside Wallace tomorrow in Melbourne, while Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore and MP Peter Garrett will sell the magazine in Sydney later in the week.

MP Kate Ellis and NSW Treasurer Mike Baird will join vendors later in the week alongside celebrity sellers Judith Lucy (Sydney), Josh Thomas & Colin Lane (Melbourne) and Poh Ling Yeow (Adelaide).