bridging JobKeeper – the Tasmanian Small Business Council has called on the Tasmanian Government to urgently provide bridging finance to small and medium businesses seeking to access the Federal Government’s new Jobkeeper support package. “Passage of Jobkeeper through the Federal Parliament is great news and provides the opportunity for small and medium business to keep staff on, even during this very difficult period”, TSBC Chief Executive Robert Mallett said. “However, while it will be backdated, businesses who sign up to the scheme won’t see money in their bank accounts until next month. This means that small and medium businesses, many whom are either not trading at the moment or operating with massively reduced turnover, somehow have to find the money to pay employees their wages in the meantime.” He wants the state government to broaden the criteria to their existing business loan scheme to enable business to access it for working capital to fill the short-term Jobkeeper gap.

Poppy Pledge – Jacqui Lambie is promoting an RSL idea: to have everyone stand at the end of their driveway at 6am on ANZAC Day for a minute’s silence. As many would have realised, she said, because of social distancing rules, we won’t be commemorating ANZAC Day with a traditional Dawn Service. “That doesn’t mean that we can’t take time to remember the sacrifice given by our soldiers in our own way,” Lambie said. People interested in the concept can sign up for instructions at Poppy Pledge.

laptops for students – with most Tasmanian students learning from home for the foreseeable future, it’s vital the government supports families without computer or internet access by providing laptops and WiFi for the duration of COVID-19 said Greens Leader and Education spokesperson Cassy O’Connor. She pointed out that New South Wales and Victoria have both announced they will loan students laptops and either WiFi modems or internet dongles. “Tasmania should do the same to ensure no student is left behind,” she said. “We acknowledge the Department of Education has already provided some support for students without computer or internet access, and we know the Minister is working to resolve challenges. The current arrangements, however, will still mean there is a different learning experience, and potential divide, for students from low-income families. Without knowing how long coronavirus will continue, it’s critical the systems we put in place now reflect the key guiding principle of our public education system – equal opportunity for all.”

Launceston business support – Eligible Launceston businesses will pay no rates for the next six months after the City of Launceston’s $8.5m Community Care and Recovery Package won unanimous support from Councillors. Mayor Albert van Zetten said he was delighted his original notice of motion was unanimously supported by his fellow Councillors. “This ongoing pandemic is negatively impacting all our lives, but through this package the Council is hoping it can do its bit to support our local businesses and hopefully see them all back up and operating at full capacity again once the pandemic is over,” Mayor van Zetten said. ”
The package includes a range of support and recovery measures, including:

  • A six-month rates remission for eligible businesses
  • 0% rate rise for the 2020-21 financial year
  • Accelerated $40 million capital works programme
  • 0% Cityprom business levy for 2020-21 financial year
  • Rental relief on Council-owned facilities
  • $700,000 business grants package
  • A new Rates Hardship Policy
  • $465,000 in fee relief for business
  • Events and sponsorship relief
  • Community assistance initiatives, including for the vulnerable

mental health support – Rural Health Tasmania CEO, Robert Waterman feels the government has overlooked the importance of mental health services provided by non-profit organisations. He said said that he expects the demand on our mental health services to continue to increase significantly. “Given that RHT provided around 33,000 episodes of care last year with more than 40% being for mental health services, I feel the Government’s stimulus or funding to services like RHT who are in daily contact with people under increasing duress as a result of COVID-19 needs to be acknowledged and addressed now before it’s too late.”
He also wished to reassure the community that RHT is committed to continuing to support people who are living with chronic conditions such as cancer, musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular and/or mental health conditions through their Rural Primary Health and Aboriginal Health Services to improve and/or maintain their health and wellbeing. Rural Health Tasmania continues to accept both existing and new clients to receive support, providing they present free of cold, flue and COVID-19 symptoms (and have not been in contact with anyone with them) and have not travelled interstate or overseas in the last 14 days.

landlords & estate agents – ASIC has published a letter admonishing agents and landlords who suggest to their clients to draw down their superannuation – currently permitted as a coronavirus measure – to pay their rent.
“We are concerned that the conduct by real estate agents referred to above may:
• constitute unlicensed financial advice in contravention of section 911A of the Corporations Act; or
• not be in the best interests of individuals in contravention of section 961B of the Corporations Act.
Financial advice must only be provided by qualified and licensed financial advisers, or financial counsellors, not by real estate agents who neither hold the requisite licence, nor are an authorised representative of an Australian Financial Services Licensee. Tenants facing financial difficulty need sound financial guidance and potentially debt counselling. Specifically pointing them to and recommending them to consider the specific possibility of accessing superannuation is, again, likely to amount to a breach of the Act.”

Integrity Commission – following consultation by the Premier with the Joint Standing Committee on Integrity, the Governor has appointed Michael Easton as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Integrity Commission for a period of five years. Easton has been the Director of Operations for the Integrity Commission since 2015 and has previously acted in the role of CEO, between October 2015 and July 2017. “With this experience, Mr Easton has an excellent understanding of the role of the Commission,” said Attorney General Elise Archer. “The Integrity Commission plays a crucial role in ensuring Tasmania’s public authorities and officers measure up to the highest ethical standards. As CEO, Mr Easton will oversee all financial and administrative operations for the Commission and the government would like to congratulate Mr Easton on his appointment.”
The outgoing CEO is Richard Bingham, who has led the Commission since 1 July 2017.

local government jobs – LGAT CEO Katrena Stephenson lamented the fact that councils will be unable to access federal JobKeeper support to retain staff. “Nationally the Commonwealth raises 83% of all taxation in Australia, local government only 3%,” she said. “On one hand the Commonwealth sees us as a state responsibility and on the other they expect councils to carry an extraordinary level of the COVID-19 burden relative to their revenue raising abilities. Councils are responding to the pandemic by implementing a range of relief measures but there will come a point where staffing or services or assets will have to be squeezed, if not all three.” Currently councils are busier than ever dealing with the immediate, ongoing and long-term impacts of COVID-19.  “Staff are being redeployed to areas of need – there are no idle staff,” she said.
LGAT also published an open letter to ratepayers around the state, reminding people to reach out to their council if they are undergoing financial hardship. See below for the full text.