Month: April 2020

The Treasurer is in the box seat to fix the problems with the JobKeeper program that has locked workers in the arts, entertainment and events industries out of the $130bn package, the Greens say.
The Greens moved in the Senate last night to amend the Coronavirus legislation to ensure casuals employed less than 12 months, freelancers and other businesses with work structures unique to the arts industry were covered but the Government and One Nation voted it down.
“The Morrison Government has so far failed to save the multibillion dollar arts and entertainment sector from collapse and swift action is needed now before it’s too late,” Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“The fact remains the Treasurer does have the power under the legislation to allow workers in the arts, entertainment and events industries to access the JobKeeper program and he should act to do that now.
“The longer the Treasurer delays exercising his discretion, the more jobs are lost and the harder the recovery when this crisis is over.
“Australians across the country are relying on the work and contributions of Australia’s artists to help get us all through this very difficult period and we will when it comes to recovery. We are watching their shows, films and listening to their music. Yet the Government doesn’t seem to value this work even though it contributes $112 billion to our economy.
“Even the Minister responsible for the portfolio has only been able to find $27m to go towards the sector, and only today after weeks of suffering and when the industry has been screaming out for a tailored package in the vicinity of $1billion.
“The Greens have been backing the industry’s call for a specific and tailored package of $1bn. The Government has stepped in to support other sectors of the economy and they need to do the same here.
“Once again the Morrison Government is failing the arts, yet it could turn this around with the stroke of a pen today. I urge the Treasurer to do the right thing and ensure no worker is left behind in this crisis.”

Easter in Australia will be different this year, as it will be all around the world.
It’s still true that we’ll be able to gather together in our immediate family, but there won’t be the opportunity for that extended family gathering, special times I know, as well as going off to church and our religious services where we can remember the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The coronavirus means this Easter will be different and we will be staying at home.
And it’s important because we cannot undo the tremendous progress we have made together in recent times.
So this Easter we are staying at home. Don’t travel. Don’t go away.
For Christians, not being able to gather does not diminish the hope that we have through this important Easter period.
This year, we will live out our faith by doing the right thing.
That means staying at home, making sure we’re checking on our neighbours and supporting our communities and families, our friends.
That’s what living our faith is all about.
So as we go into this Easter long weekend, whatever your religious views might be, I do wish you a Happy Easter, Australia.
I hope it is a time as you come together in your homes, together with your immediate family, that it will be a strong reminder about what’s most important.
Happy Easter, Australia.

Australian governments met today as the National Cabinet to take further action to slow the spread of coronavirus to save lives, and to save livelihoods.
Leaders thanked all Australians who have acted responsibly towards their fellow Australians and have been undertaking social distancing and isolation measures.
It’s clear that social distancing measures are working, we’re slowing the spread of the virus. But there is a long way to go, we will be living with this virus for at least six months.
National Cabinet reminds Australians to stay home for the Easter break – stay home and save lives.
The Chief Medical Officer Dr Brendan Murphy provided an update on the measures underway on the latest data and medical advice in relation to coronavirus.
There are more than 6,100 confirmed cases in Australia and sadly 51 people have died.
Testing keeps Australians safe. Australia has one of the most rigorous coronavirus testing systems in the world with more than 323,000 tests completed.
National Cabinet stressed the critical importance of continuing to adhere to self-isolation, social distancing and quarantine arrangements for returned travellers. Leaders also highlighted the importance of people who are self-isolating and registering on the COVID-19 app.
National Cabinet noted that Australia was now in the suppression phase of the response, which will last for some time. Restrictions will be reviewed regularly and planning for the medium to long-term has begun.
National Cabinet agreed to meet again on Thursday 16 April 2020.
Updated quarantine arrangements for non-cruise maritime and air crew
Australia’s skilled maritime workforce plays a unique and strategically important role in Australia’s supply chains.
National Cabinet agreed that the Australian Government and all states and territories will implement a consistent and immediate exemption for non-cruise maritime crew to provide for the transiting to and from their places of work, within and across jurisdictions with agreed documentation.
National Cabinet noted that states and territories may adopt additional protocols in consultation with industry that creates protection for crews on board vessels, and will put in place appropriate penalties for companies and individuals that are found to be in breach of the requirements of the exemption which will be reviewed on 1 June 2020.
The Australian Border Force, in consultation with the Commonwealth Department of Health, will continue to manage the safe movement of maritime crew.
Air crew play a vital role in maintaining a connection between Australia and other nations.
National Cabinet agreed to implement the revised advice from the AHPPC in relation to air crew quarantine exemptions. As a result, air crew on international flights will be required to self-isolate at their place of residence (or hotel if not in their local city) between flights or for 14 days, whichever is shorter.
Domestic air crew are exempt from self-isolation requirements except when a state or territory specifically prohibits entry.
Hardship provisions for energy, water and rates
Today, the National Cabinet agreed to a nationally consistent approach to hardship support across the essential services for households and small businesses.
The Commonwealth is already taking action across the energy and telecommunications sectors to scale-up hardship support provided by those industries.
State and territory governments agreed to adopt similar principles for the essential services within their remit, including water utilities and local governments. They will work with the organisations supplying those services to apply the principles to each sector.
The principles will also ensure accessing support for essential services is as simple and easy as possible. They specify that businesses eligible for the JobKeeper payment will automatically be considered to be under ‘financial stress’ for the purposes of accessing hardship arrangements.
These principles, modelled on the Government’s recently released Statement of Expectations for the energy sector, include:

• Offering flexible payment options to all households and small businesses in financial stress – including small businesses eligible for the JobKeeper Payment;
• Not disconnecting restricting supply/services to those in financial stress;
• Deferring debt recovery proceedings and credit default listing;
• Waiving late fees and interest charges on debt; and
• Minimising planned outages for critical works, and provide as much notice as possible to assist households and businesses during any outage.

Those who can continue to pay their bills need to keep doing so – this is critical to ensuring the ongoing viability of essential services providers. But we need to ensure an appropriate safety net is in place for those experiencing financial stress.
These are extremely challenging times. It is vital that essential service providers work with governments to deliver the support the Australian people need.
Implementation of visa arrangements in the agricultural sector
The National Cabinet noted the approach to implementing measures to support the agricultural workforce needed to secure Australia food supplies:

• the Commonwealth has implemented the visa measures and is urgently working on the associated changes to the Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme to ensure appropriate labour market testing continues;
• the same conditions that apply under the Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme visa arrangements with regard to approved employers will be carried over to the new visa arrangements, including employer sponsorship to continue the link with the agricultural sector;
• industry is leading on protocols for managing the risks of coronavirus in farming workplaces, including social distancing to mitigate public health risks;

Commonwealth and state and territory Agriculture Ministers will oversee and coordinate implementation and will report back to National Cabinet on progress.
National Cabinet agreed that state and territory governments are responsible for:

• the introduction and enforcement of self-isolation requirements to avoid the spread of coronavirus;
• applying sanctions where those requirements are not met and, where appropriate, referring concerns about visa holder compliance to the Department of Home Affairs for action;
• ensuring accommodation complies with self-isolation and social distancing requirements, in conjunction with local governments and the National Farmers Federation;
• seeking to harmonise these requirements as far as practical.

National Cabinet agreed that state and territory Agriculture Ministers will support the adoption of – as consistent as possible requirements – in respect to declarations required from employers and employees to facilitate agricultural employment.
National Cabinet agreed that the Australian and state and territory governments will undertake best efforts for these arrangements to be in place by 17 April 2020, or as soon thereafter as practicable.
National Cabinet agreed that employers and employees must continue to adhere to Australian and State and Territory government health requirements in respect to the management of coronavirus.

The Morrison Government is today making the first round of offers to banks and non-bank lenders to participate in the Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme to support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) get access to working capital to help them get through the impact of the coronavirus.
Under the Scheme, the Government will support up to $40 billion of lending to SMEs with turnover of less than $50 million, including sole traders and not-for-profit organisations, with the Government guaranteeing 50 per cent of new loans issued by eligible lenders until 30 September 2020.
The Government will make offers to 29 banks and 5 non-bank lenders in response to expressions of interest which will total $34 billion of potential lending to SMEs. Applications from a range of other lenders are currently being assessed for the remaining $6 billion in the Scheme.
The legislative and scheme rules have also been finalised following consultation with lenders and key stakeholders to ensure the Scheme provides the required support to SMEs during this period.
The Scheme complements other initiatives undertaken by the Government and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to support lending to SMEs, including:

• $15 billion to allow AOFM to invest in wholesale funding markets used by small ADIs and non-ADI lenders.
• The RBA’s $90 billion term funding facility for ADIs with a priority for SME lending.
• Cutting red tape to ensure SMEs get access to credit faster.

The Scheme will also support the JobKeeper program to help businesses get access to the necessary working capital to continue operating when their revenues have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus.
Further information about the SME Guarantee Scheme can be found on the Treasury website: www.treasury.gov.au/coronavirus/sme-guarantee-scheme. A list of participating lenders will be available on the Treasury website once the offers to lenders have been accepted.
The Government will continue to help small businesses build a bridge to the other side to ensure that Australia bounces back even stronger.

A group of Australian manufacturing companies and engineering firms will work together to produce 2,000 invasive ventilators in Australia as part of the nation’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Federal Government has reached a $31.3 million agreement with Victorian company Grey Innovation, which is leading an industry consortium to produce the ventilators.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said Grey Innovation and their cohort of industry partners are stepping up to meet the challenge of this unprecedented pandemic.
“This is another great example of Australian industry and the private sector working with our Government to ensure critical supply of medical equipment during the outbreak of this virus,” Minister Andrews said.
“This deal demonstrates the power of bringing Aussie manufacturers and clinicians together and is also a reflection of the highly advanced manufacturing capability that exists in our country.
“It also shows the incredible collaborative spirit that’s been on display as we respond to this unprecedented pandemic. Companies which are normally in competition are working together for the greater good.”
This contract builds on the extensive work already done to secure more ventilators, including agreement with another local manufacturer and our private hospitals.
Grey Innovation Executive Chair Jefferson Harcourt said his company is proud to be a part of Australia’s overall strategy to ensure adequate supply of lifesaving ventilators to meet demand during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Victoria has the highest concentration of leading engineering and manufacturing companies in Australia, and as such, we are well placed to work together to build the Notus emergency invasive ventilators as quickly as possible,” Mr Harcourt said.
“We thank the Federal and Victorian Governments and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre for their support of the vision and rapid response to get the program under way, and are overwhelmed by the willingness of our industry colleagues to respond in this critical hour of need.”
The contract with Grey Innovation builds on $500,000 support from the Victorian Government for the project’s feasibility stage.
The supply of ventilators is set to start in June, with the 2000 machines expected to be produced by the end of July.