The $130 billion JobKeeper Payment will help keep Australians in jobs as we tackle the significant economic impact from Coronavirus. The payment will be open to eligible businesses that have been significantly impacted by Coronavirus. The payment will provide the equivalent of around 70 per cent of the national median wage. For workers in the accommodation, hospitality and retail sectors it will equate to a full median replacement wage. The payment will ensure eligible employers and employees stay connected while some businesses move into hibernation so that they can both bounce back stronger on the other side.

JobKeeper Payment:

The JobKeeper Payment is a subsidy to businesses, which will keep more Australians in jobs through the course of the Coronavirus outbreak.

The payment will be paid to employers, for up to six months, for each eligible employee that was on their books on 1 March 2020 and is retained or continues to be engaged by that employer.

Where a business has stood down employees since 1 March, the payment will help them maintain connection with their employees.

Employers will receive a payment of $1,500 per fortnight per eligible employee. Every eligible employee must receive at least $1,500 per fortnight from this business, before tax. The program commenced on 30 March 2020, with the first payments to be received by eligible businesses in the first week of May as monthly arrears from the Australian Taxation Office. Eligible businesses can begin distributing the JobKeeper Payment immediately and will be reimbursed from the first week of May.

Eligible employers will be those with annual turnover of less than $1 billion who self-assess that they have a reduction in revenue of 30 per cent or more, since 1 March 2020 over a minimum one-month period.

Eligible employers include businesses structured through companies, partnerships, trusts and sole traders. Not-for-profit entities, including charities, will also be eligible.

Full-time and part-time employees, including stood down employees, would be eligible to receive the JobKeeper Payment. Where a casual employee has been with their employer for at least the previous 12 months they will also be eligible for the payment. An employee will only be eligible to receive this payment from one employer.

Eligible employees include Australian residents, New Zealand citizens in Australia who hold a subclass 444 special category visa, and migrants who are eligible for JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance (Other).

Self-employed individuals are also eligible to receive the JobKeeper Payment. Eligible businesses can apply for the payment online and are able to register their interest via ato.gov.au

Income support Partner income test:

Over the next six months the Government is temporarily expanding access to income support payments and establishing a Coronavirus supplement of $550 per fortnight.

JobSeeker Payment is subject to a partner income test, and the Government is temporarily relaxing the partner income test to ensure that an eligible person can receive the JobSeeker Payment, and associated Coronavirus supplement, providing their partner earns less than $3,068 per fortnight, around $79,762 per annum.

The personal income test for individuals on JobSeeker Payment will still apply.

 

For more information please visit www.australia.gov.au

Australia Wide Services: 

Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia

Kids Help Line

Beyond Blue

Baw Baw Shire Council:

Men’s Referral Service

Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service

Cardinia Shire Council:

Better Place Australia

4 C's

St Vincent De Paul

Connections UnitingCare 

Latrobe City Council:

Within Australia

Headspace

Lifeline Gippsland

Men’s Referral Service

South Gippsland Shire Council:

 Rural Financial Counselling Service

Bass Cost Shire Council:

Family Resource Centre (Bass Coast Health)

Food Relief:

Or visit the following link to view specific emergency relief services via your postcode: https://serviceproviders.dss.gov.au/?postcode=3825&ppp=100&programme=Families%20and%20Communities&region=all&service=Financial%20Crisis%20and%20Material%20Aid%20-%20Emergency%20Relief&state

Emergency Support Contact Information:

For the most up to date information please visit www.health.gov.au/covid-19.

The Australian Government has released an official app today with the latest information and advice you need to know about Coronavirus (COVID-19).

You can use the Australian Government Coronavirus app to:

You can download for iOS here https://apple.co/39sJT5E or for Android here https://bit.ly/2w1yvQQ

There’s also a new Government WhatsApp channel launched today to supply you with the latest information. To access it, go to www.aus.gov.au/whatsapp.

The Morrison Government has today released the second stage of its economic plan to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus and help build a bridge to recovery.

A total of $189 billion is being injected into the economy by all arms of Government in order to keep Australians in work and businesses in business, including in the Electorate of Monash.

This includes $17.6 billion for the Government’s first economic stimulus package, $90 billion from the RBA and $15 billion from the Government to deliver easier access to finance, and $66.1 billion in today’s economic support package.

Our economic support package includes:

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government was acting to cushion the blow from the coronavirus for businesses and households to help them get through to the other side of the crisis.

“We want to help businesses keep going as best they can and for as long as they can, or to pause instead of winding up their business. We want to ensure that when this crisis has passed Australian businesses can bounce back,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our focus is on cushioning the blow and providing hope to every Australian that we will get through this and come out the other side together.

“We know this will be temporary.  That’s why all our actions are geared towards building a bridge, keeping more people in work, enhancing the safety net for those that aren’t and keeping businesses alive so they can get to the other side and stand up their workforce as quickly as possible.

“We know Australia’s more than 3 million small and medium businesses are the engine room of our economy. When they hurt, we all hurt.

“The next few months are going to be a difficult journey but we all have a role to play to adapt to the changes we’re facing, to cushion the impact of what is happening and to pull together so we can bounce back when we get to the other side.”

The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the $189 billion economic support package was the equivalent of 9.7 per cent of GDP.

“The Government is taking unprecedented action to strengthen the safety net available to Australians that are stood down or lose their jobs and increasing support for small businesses that do it tough over the next six months.

“These measures build significantly on what we have already announced.

“These extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.”

Support for workers and households

Coronavirus supplement

The Government is temporarily expanding eligibility to income support payments and establishing a new, time-limited Coronavirus supplement to be paid at a rate of $550 per fortnight.  This will be paid to both existing and new recipients of the JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance jobseeker, Parenting Payment, Farm Household Allowance and Special Benefit.

The Coronavirus supplement will be paid for the next 6 months. Eligible income support recipients will receive the full amount of the $550 Coronavirus supplement on top of their payment each fortnight.

This measure is estimated to cost $14.1 billion over the forward estimates period.

An increase of up to 5,000 staff for Services Australia will assist to support delivery of new Government measures.

Payments to support households

In addition to the $750 stimulus payment announced on 12 March 2020, the Government will provide a further $750 payment to social security and veteran income support recipients and eligible concession card holders, except for those who are receiving an income support payment that is eligible to receive the Coronavirus supplement.

This second payment will be made automatically from 13 July 2020 to around 5 million social security, veteran and other income support recipients and eligible concession card holders. Around half of those that benefit are pensioners.

The first payment will be made from 31 March 2020 to people who will have been on one of the eligible payments any time between 12 March 2020 and 13 April 2020.

This measure is estimated to cost $4 billion over the forward estimates period.

Early release of superannuation

The Government will allow individuals in financial stress as a result of the Coronavirus to access up to $10,000 of their superannuation in 2019-20 and a further $10,000 in 2020-21.

Eligible individuals will be able to apply online through myGov for access of up to $10,000 of their superannuation before 1 July 2020. They will also be able to access up to a further $10,000 from 1 July 2020 for another three months. They will not need to pay tax on amounts released and the money they withdraw will not affect Centrelink or Veterans’ Affairs payments.

This measure is estimated to cost $1.2 billion over the forward estimates period.

Temporarily reduce superannuation minimum drawdown rates

The Government is temporarily reducing superannuation minimum drawdown requirements for account based pensions and similar products by 50 per cent for 2019-20 and 2020-21. This measure will benefit retirees by providing them with more flexibility as to how they manage their superannuation assets.

Reducing social security deeming rates

On top of the deeming rate changes made at the time of the first package, the Government is reducing the deeming rates by a further 0.25 percentage points to reflect the latest rate reductions by the RBA.

As of 1 May 2020, the lower deeming rate will be 0.25 per cent and the upper deeming rate will be 2.25 per cent.

The change will benefit around 900,000 income support recipients, including Age Pensioners.

This measure is estimated to cost $876 million over the forward estimates period.

Assistance to business to keep people in a job

Boosting Cash Flow for Employers

The Government is providing up to $100,000 to eligible small and medium sized businesses, and not‑for-profits (including charities) that employ people, with a minimum payment of $20,000.  These payments will help businesses’ and not-for-profits’ cash flow so they can keep operating, pay their rent, electricity and other bills and retain staff.

Under the enhanced scheme from the first package, employers will receive a payment equal to 100 per cent of their salary and wages withheld (up from 50 per cent), with the maximum payment being increased from $25,000 to $50,000. In addition, the minimum payment is being increased from $2,000 to $10,000. The payment will be available from 28 April 2020.

By linking the payments to business to staff wage tax withholdings, businesses will be incentivised to hold on to more of their workers.

The payments are tax free, there will be no new forms and payments will flow automatically through the ATO.

This measure will benefit around 690,000 businesses employing around 7.8 million people, and around 30,000 NFPs (including charities).

Small and medium business entities with aggregated annual turnover under $50 million and that employ workers are eligible. NFPs entities, including charities, with aggregated annual turnover under $50 million and that employ workers will now also be eligible. This will support employment at a time where NFPs are facing increasing demand for services.

An additional payment is also being made from 28 July 2020. Eligible entities will receive an additional payment equal to the total of all of the Boosting Cash Flow for Employers payments received.

This measure is estimated to cost $31.9 billion over the forward estimates period, including the value of the measure announced in the first package.

Regulatory protection and financial support for businesses to stay in business

Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme

The Government will establish the Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme which will support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to get access to working capital to help them get them through the impact of the coronavirus.

Under the Scheme, the Government will guarantee 50 per cent of new loans issued by eligible lenders to SMEs.

The Government’s support will enhance lenders’ willingness and ability to provide credit to SMEs with the Scheme able to support $40 billion of lending to SMEs.

The Scheme will complement the announcement the Government has made to cut red-tape to allow SMEs to get access to credit faster. It also complements announcements made by Australian banks to support small businesses with their existing loans.

This builds on the investment the Government is making to enable smaller lenders to continue supporting Australian consumers and small businesses, through providing the AOFM an investment capacity of $15 billion to invest in wholesale funding markets used by small authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADI) and non-ADI lenders.

It further supports the Reserve Bank of Australia’s announcement of a $90 billion term funding facility for ns ADIs, that will reduce the cost of lending, with particular incentives to lend to small and medium enterprises.

The measures the Government is announcing today, along with the previous announcements, will deliver a total of $125 billion to support Australians get through the impact of the coronavirus.

The Government will guarantee up to $20 billion to support $40 billion in SME loans.

Providing temporary relief for financially distressed businesses

The Government is temporarily increasing the threshold at which creditors can issue a statutory demand on a company and the time companies have to respond to statutory demands they receive. The package also includes temporary relief for directors from any personal liability for trading while insolvent.  The Corporations Act 2001 will be amended to provide temporary and targeted relief for companies to deal with unforeseen events that arise as a result of the Coronavirus.

Support for the aviation industry

As previously announced, the Government is also providing up to $715 million in support for Australian airlines and airports, which will ensure that our aviation sector receives timely cash flow support through an unprecedented period of disruption to international and domestic air travel.

While these are challenging times, Australians can rest assured that the Commonwealth Government will do all that is necessary to support them and build a bridge to ensure that all Australians can get to the other side of this crisis.

As community concern rises about the spread of the coronavirus, Member for Monash, Russell Broadbent, is reminding the community to remain calm and alert to the things they can do to lower the risk.

“I know that many people are concerned about the spread of coronavirus. It is a serious threat, there is though no need for panic buying.

“The run on basic household items is unnecessary and it only serves to spread fear and anxiety in our community”, Mr Broadbent said.

“We can all lessen the risk by practicing good hygiene including washing your hands thoroughly with hot soapy water for at least 20 second is the first step. Covering your mouth when you cough and your nose when you sneeze are simple things we can all do to lessen the risk to others,” Mr Broadbent said.

“The Government is monitoring the situation very closely and will keep the public advised of developments.

“If you become unwell and think that you may have symptoms of coronavirus, seek immediate medical attention. Call ahead to book an appointment and let the medical practice know that you think you may have symptoms consistent with coronavirus.

“Tell your doctor about your symptoms, travel history and any recent close contact with someone who has coronavirus.

“Even if you haven't returned from overseas and you experience cold-like symptoms, try to isolate yourself. These simple actions lessen the risk to everyone,” said Mr Broadbent.

The government has established a hotline 1800 022 222. This hotline is free to call and is open 24/7.

A memorial cairn at Neerim South will be restored to honour those that have served and died as a result of war following the announcement of a Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grant by the Member for Monash, Russell Broadbent.

Member for Monash praised the work of the Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Motorcycle Club, Gippsland Chapter, for ensuring the history of the soldiers from the area who died in conflict are never forgotten.

“For over 100 years Gippsland’s families have paid the ultimate price, with the loss of their loved ones, to ensure that our freedoms are protected.

“With ANZAC Day approaching it is heartening to know that the memorial cairn at Neerim South will be restored and suitably maintained by the Gippsland Chapter of the Veterans Motorcycle Club”, Mr Broadbent said.

Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Motorcycle Club, Gippsland Chapter Secretary, Ronald Kohlman, said the Memorial was there to remind the public of those lost to war, not just the Vietnam War but all conflicts where Australian Defence personnel served.

“The cairn memorial is used every year and serves as an important reminder,” Mr Kohlman said.

Mr Broadbent reminded community groups and organisations that the Saluting Their Service Commemoration Program is ongoing.

“With commemorations approaching for the end of the Second World War, this is also an opportunity for organisations to apply for the next grant funding round to mark this important commemorative anniversary”, Mr Broadbent said.

You can submit your application now for the next funding round, which closes on 31 March 2020. To apply or find out more visit the Saluting Their Service Commemoration Program page on the Community Grants Hub website.

 

I don't know how you're approaching the coronavirus yourselves, but I know that what I've done is to make sure that each Friday, when this parliament's not sitting, I've gone to a Chinese restaurant. I've sat in the window to make sure everyone can see we're there, one in the city and one in Warragul. Peter and Pienna Duan run the Jade Chinese restaurant in Warragul. I'll be joining them again on Friday. They don't know it yet, but I'll be joining them again on Friday to make the point to the people of Warragul and surrounds and Gippsland that it's great to go out to a Chinese restaurant. Get out there! There is not one single reason why you shouldn't be enjoying the quality and the hospitality of the Chinese community, especially in Melbourne and across Victoria—not one reason. Peter and Pienna provide beautiful food at their Jade Chinese restaurant. It's one of the many Chinese restaurants in my electorate and, of course, Melbourne has been struck particularly heavily by people not attending Chinese restaurants and look it's just not on. Get out there. Enjoy yourselves. Go to the places you've been before. I went with a couple of mates into Melbourne to have our normal get-together meeting. The people who owned that restaurant were particularly grateful for our attendance there. So, to you Australians: don't step back. There's nothing to fear. Get out and get into your own Chinese restaurant.

 

It would've been my pleasure to second the motion. However, I've been jumped by the member for Indi, which I'm now crushed about. I've already told the story to the parliament of going to a dear friend's funeral in Bairnsdale. Outside of that funeral centre was a massive electronic sign. In the middle or just after the crucial days of the fire, that sign didn't say 'look after yourself' or 'drive with your lights on' or 'bushfire area—be careful', none of that. That massive sign said one thing and that one thing was 'Fires and storms—tune to the ABC.'

You're right, there were too many telecommunications that went down. There were too many situations where nobody could communicate anywhere with anybody except for one thing—the ABC. So I'm here to praise Laura Poole and her team out at Gippsland and of course, the member for Gippsland, Darren Chester, Minister Chester, who was also extremely effective in his use of the ABC to get the general messages across from the government as to what needed to be done on a daily basis and about what was happening at Mallacoota. But we know that this enormous tragedy affected everybody from Queensland through New South Wales down into East Gippsland, across to the Adelaide Hills and some parts of Western Australia. So it was erupting around us but there were Laura Poole and her team, all of them—I'm not going to name them individually because the list is that long. I'll name Gerard Callinan, because he left the ABC some years ago and came back as a volunteer presenter to support the team, his old team. They were a magnificent team that went virtually 24 hours a day non-stop on behalf of the people of Gippsland, and everybody was tuned to the ABC. They were so important in this time of crisis.

The ABC, for me, have been a way in our rural area to communicate messages that local members need to get out in regards to any situations that we face, so they're always there in times of trouble. They are the reporting agency. They are the people who take the responsibility to get the messages out when no-one else can get the messages out. So, Laura, I say thank you to you and your team at the ABC Gippsland, and to Gerard Callinan for coming back and giving his time and expertise and it has to be very effective communications as to what's happening. We're best off if we have presenters who can actually pronounce the names of the areas, know where the roads are, and are not challenged by the fact that they are tired and exhausted, but rather would relish the opportunity to be part of the community response to what was a tragedy in this area, and a national tragedy around the country. I'm not saying for one minute that my ABC was better than your ABC—I wouldn't dare do that—but my ABC who I have supported my ABC forever in this place and I have supported Friends of the ABC. I have supported very clearly and forthrightly how important the ABC is to regional Australia and regional Victoria. It doesn't matter where you go; it doesn't matter how remote you are; it doesn't matter how far away from city centres you are: you get an opportunity to tune into the ABC in one way or another.

When the nation's under threat, we have the ABC to communicate to us. We must preserve that. We must look after that. And we must say, 'How can we best do this job with the ABC?'

I know it all comes down to money. There was a $1.1 billion outlay for government, and what I do know is that every government—and I've been here from the Hawke government through, but not consistently, sadly—has had problems with the ABC. Every government has been through this. We work with them but I really thank them for the work they did during this bushfire season. Thank you.

Russell Broadbent MP
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