Month: March 2020

Australia is closing its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents.
The entry ban takes effect from 9pm AEDT Friday, 20 March 2020, with exemptions only for Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family, including spouses, legal guardians and dependants.
New Zealand citizens who live in Australia as Australian residents are also exempt, as are New Zealanders transiting to New Zealand. Exemptions for Pacific Islanders transiting to their home countries will continue to apply.
Australian citizens and permanent residents and those exempt from our entry restrictions will continue to be subject to a strict 14 days self-isolation.
Our number one priority is to slow the spread of coronavirus to save lives.
Our government has taken this unprecedented step because around 80 per cent of coronavirus cases in Australia are people who caught the virus overseas before entering Australia, or people who have had a direct contact with someone who has returned from overseas.
Our previous travel and entry restrictions have already meant that daily travel to Australia by non-citizens has been reduced to about one third of what it was this time last year.
We also strongly urge Australians looking to return home to do so as soon as possible. This follows our upgraded travel advice for all Australians not to travel overseas, at all.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will provide consular advice and assistance, but the capacity for DFAT to provide consular services may be limited by local restrictions on movement, as well as the full scale of the challenges posed by coronavirus.
Australians who cannot, or do not want to, return home should follow the advice of local authorities and minimise their risk of coronavirus exposure by self-isolating.
The government is in discussions with airlines about the continuance of some international flights for the purpose of bringing Australians home and continuing the movement of goods and freight.
These challenges vary and the situation is changing rapidly.
Our government will continue to act on the best available information to keep Australians safe.

The Morrison Government today announced an investment of up to $15 billion to enable smaller lenders to continue supporting Australian consumers and small businesses.
The Government’s actions will enable customers of smaller lenders to continue to access affordable credit as the world deals with the significant challenges presented by the spread of coronavirus.
Small lenders are critical to Australia’s lending markets, often driving innovation and providing competition for larger lenders.
This funding will complement the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA’s) announcement of a $90 billion term funding facility for authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) that will also support lending to small and medium enterprises.
Combined, these measures will support the continued ability of lenders to support their customers and in doing so the Australian economy.
The Australian Office of Financial Management (AOFM) will be provided with an investment capacity of $15 billion to invest in wholesale funding markets used by small ADIs and non-ADI lenders.
The $15 billion capacity would allow the AOFM to support a substantial volume of expected issuance by these lenders over a 12 month period.
Importantly the assets being purchased by the AOFM will not be limited to residential mortgage backed securities. The AOFM will also be able to invest in a range of other asset backed securities and warehouse facilities. The Government will provide the AOFM with investment guidelines that will outline the basis on which the AOFM is to undertake these investments.
Enabling legislation will be introduced in the week commencing Monday, 23 March 2020. The AOFM is expected to be able to begin investing by April.

The Morrison Government welcomes the ABS labour force figures released today exceeding market expectations in February 2020, with employment increasing by 26,700 over the month, to stand at a record high, of more than 13 million.
Over the year to February 2020, employment has risen by 256,300 (or 2.0 per cent), above the decade average growth rate, of 1.8 per cent.
Whilst these figures do not reflect the economic impact of the spread of COVID-19, it shows the strength of Australia’s economy going into the international crisis.
Full-time employment increased by 6,700 over the month, to a record high of 8,884,600 in February 2020, and is now 144,300 (or 1.7 per cent) higher than it was a year ago.
Full-time employment has comprised 56.3 per cent of total employment growth over the last year.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points over the month, to 5.1 per cent in February 2020.
The Minister for Employment, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, welcomed today’s positive figures noting that 1,538,400 jobs had been created since the Government came to office, an increase of 13.4 per cent.
The Minister cautioned, however, that COVID-19 is likely to have a substantial impact on global and domestic economic growth, as well as labour market activity, going forward.
“In order to help protect both the health and jobs of all Australians, the Morrison Government has moved quickly to put in place scalable and sustainable measures to help cushion the negative impact of the coronavirus,” she said.
“Last week, we announced the first step in the recovery with a $17.6 billion economic stimulus package to help boost investment and confidence, strengthen the economy, keep businesses operating and support Australian jobs.”
“We do not underestimate the significant challenges resulting from COVID-19 that lie ahead. This is why the Government stands ready to enact further measures to help strengthen the safety net, bolster the economy’s defences and protect Australian businesses and jobs.”
The Federal Government will continue to work collaboratively with the experts and our State and Territory counterparts, in order to respond decisively and effectively to the health and economic challenges that confront us during this pandemic

Australian Greens disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has described the COAG Disability Reform Council’s (DRC) response to COVID-19 as appalling
Senator Steele-John has called on the DRC to act with more urgency, and provide more clarity about the impacts COVID-19 will have on disabled people, our families and our support networks.
“Yesterday’s meeting was an opportunity for the DRC to show that they are listening to the disability community and take urgent action. They’ve failed to do either; their response has been too slow and frankly, does not respond appropriately to the urgent needs of our community,” Steele-John said.
“What we needed from yesterday’s meeting was a comprehensive action plan to ensure that people in our community who are at risk have access to the right information and appropriate supports to get through this crisis. What we got was a list of so-called priorities that didn’t cover half all of our concerns or have a clear timeline for action.
“Critically, a dedicated hotline and a phone-based outreach program for people who are at risk must be established to provide support, carry out well-being checks and reassure the community that their needs will be met. The list of priorities identified by the DRC is also lacking in several key areas.
“Disabled people need a commitment that throughout the life of this crisis there will be equal access to healthcare for all and that all steps will be taken to ensure our hospital system is accessible and inclusive for all.
“It is not good enough to say that “appropriate consideration” will be given to disabled people as part of the health response; our community needs to know that people will get the healthcare they need, when they need it.
“There has been no mention of the need to develop a stand-by workforce to ensure that disabled people who need support can have certainity that they will be able to get it, even if their usual service provider is compromised.
“Access to increased funding for disabled people where needed to ensure that we can continue to access services and supports is critical, just as it is critical to support service providers.
“The outcomes of this meeting have failed to address the urgency of the issues disabled people face and the DRC must now act.”

Senator Steee-John said the Greens support the recommendations made by Australian peak disability organisations in response to the COAG Disability Reform Council, which can be found here.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has called on the government to implement a comprehensive action plan to ensure that everyone in the community has access to the right information and the appropriate supports to get through the COVID-19 crisis.
“Many people across our communities, especially disabled people and others who are at risk, are feeling worried and uncertain about the impacts the COVID-19 crisis could have on them and the people they love,” Steele-John said.
“We need a better plan. Disabled people and their families, service providers and support workers have all been raising the alarm but the response has not been quick enough nor has it been accessible or inclusive.
“Disabled people who require daily support are worried that their services could simply be cut off if the crisis worsens.
“The government needs to urgently implement a comprehensive action plan that includes the following:

• Ensure all COVID-19 test clinics are accessible and inclusive.
• Ensure all hospitals have the accessibility equipment they need.
• Create a dedicated advice hotline for disabled people and families.
• Ensure all information about the crisis is shared in ways that are easy to understand and accessible for everyone (including the use of interpreters, Easy Read, and Language specific formats).
• Give support workers priority access to personal protective equipment at no extra cost.
• Increase the capacity of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission so that the commission has the resources it needs to make sure service providers are meeting their support obligations and implementing effective safety procedures.
• Fastrack the National Disability Data Asset and utilise existing data to ensure that supports, funding, and equipment are delivered to high-risk areas.
• Provide targeted financial support to the disability sector to make sure that service providers and other support services can continue to support people through the crisis.
• Develop standby capacity that will allow rapid recruitment and expansion of the disability workforce sector by drawing on students of allied health including Occupational Therapists, physiotherapists and social workers.
• Provide financial resources to disability services so they can rapidly scale up their operations to support people during the closures of schools, day services and other programs.
• Ensure children with disability and their families have access to information and services to support them through the crisis.
• Increasing capacity to process Working with Children and Police checks so a new workforce can be mobilised quickly.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens spokesperson for Housing is demanding emergency measures to support people to keep a roof over their heads during the COVID-19 pandemic. At this difficult time when there are even more workers in precarious work and others needing to take time off we must guarantee there will be no evictions and enough resources for crisis housing.
Emergency measures in housing are required to give people protection, security and stability during this public health crisis. Close to half (43%) of low-income households are already living under rental stress in Australia. This means many families and people are one paycheck away from being unable to pay their rent, facing eviction and potentially homelessness. Crisis housing services, many of which are overcrowded, are also struggling to cope without extra resources to offer isolation to people who may be symptomatic of the virus.
These measures should be implemented in addition to workers’ protection from layoffs, guaranteed sick leave and other pay protections.

• Eviction moratorium – We must protect tenants from the threat of eviction by instituting a moratorium on all evictions. At the moment, a patchwork of State and Territory laws govern evictions with most allowing for eviction if the tenants are 14 days or more behind with their rent. This should be scrapped immediately.
• Fund crisis housing – Crisis and transitional housing providers are struggling with no extra resources available during this health crisis to accommodate people who are sick or have to be isolated due to COVID-19. The Federal Government must increase homelessness funding under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement to $500 million per year and release these funds immediately to States and Territories.
• Freeze rents – A nationwide rent freeze with no increase in rent from the start of 2020 and for the duration of the health crisis. This should be followed by restricting rent increases for the duration of 2020, so there can be no price gouging after the crisis has passed. Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) should also be increased.

Australian Greens Housing Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, said:
“In the developing crisis, the government has a responsibility to ensure that no one ends up at risk of homelessness or further rental stress. We must take immediate steps to ensure that no one can be evicted.
“If you can’t pay rent, you should not be forced out onto the street. It’s that simple.
“Work is becoming even more precarious with millions of people unable to access sick leave. Self-isolation is putting many people out of the workforce.
“Urgent responses are required now. We must put a moratorium on all evictions, fund crisis housing, and institute a nationwide rent freeze. Now more than ever, people must be guaranteed a roof over their head and a safe and secure home. Everyone has the right to an affordable and permanent home.
“This will require governments to work together and implement these critical measures as a matter of urgency. The federal government should be leading from the front on this.
“The most vulnerable and marginalised in society stand to suffer most at this time. Emergency funding must be provided as people experiencing homelessness are at particular risk of being unable to socially distance or access the support they deserve.
“Housing in Australia is already completely messed up. We need unprecedented intervention in housing, and now it’s crucial that we act swiftly to deal with this emergency.”
Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP, said:
“Millions of people will go through financial stress over the coming months, and we fear that without increased rental assistance and a social safety net that looks after everyone, many people will be pushed to the brink.
“Landlords need to stop and consider their actions during this time of crisis. Eviction is traumatic and stressful at the best of times – but being forced onto the streets during a financial crisis would be a disaster.
“People who are struggling need to know they’ll be able to find new work with a roof over their head. During the coronavirus people may also need a place to self-isolate in, and a pantry to keep food in.
“The Government must step in and make it clear that anyone who is struggling financially won’t be kicked out of their home when they need it most. Only through an eviction moratorium can we give people stable and secure housing through this crisis, and the Federal Government must commit to this as soon as possible.
“An eviction moratorium will also reduce the burden on crisis housing services, who will no doubt see increased demand over the coming months.”