Senator Catryna Bilyk eBulletin
Special COVID-19 edition
Monday, 30 March 2020
ADVISORY: The situation with COVID-19 is constantly developing. Every effort has been made to provide the most up to date information and advice possible. Visit the following links for the latest public health advice from the: Australian Government (English), Australian Government (other languages) and Tasmanian Government.
The world is facing an unprecedented health crisis. Now is not the time to play politics, but to provide people with the leadership, advice and support they need.
Labor’s approach has been to offer constructive, bipartisan support to the Government on the basis of the most up-to-date medical advice available. We have offered to work with the Government to do everything we can to protect Australians’ lives and jobs. At the same time we urge the Government to provide clear, consistent and up-to-date information and to show leadership in managing the crisis.
In Parliament last Monday Labor helped the Government pass their Economic Support Package. The package is not perfect but we do recognise that it is urgent. I encourage you to check out Anthony Albanese’s speech on the support package.
Labor was concerned the package did not go far enough and for two weeks has been calling for the Government to provide support to businesses to keep workers employed. We welcome the Government’s wage subsidy, announced today, and look forward to examining the details. Here is what Labor’s Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations Tony Burke had to say when the Government first indicated they would introduce such a scheme.
With all the panic buying in our supermarkets, I think it is a timely reminder of SDA’s No-one deserves a serve campaign. Please be kind to retail and hospitality staff who are just trying to do their jobs in difficult circumstances. Click the image below to watch the SDA’s campaign video and I encourage you to share it with your friends.
I would also like to thank all the workers who are keeping our nation running, particularly those in health and emergency services who are at the frontline of managing this crisis. One group of unsung heroes often overlooked is our truckies, who continue to move people and goods around Australia during the pandemic. Thank you to 10 Daily News for telling their stories and the Transport Workers Union for continuing to fight for their health and safety.
Economic Support Package
The Government’s COVID-19 Economic Support Package passed the Parliament on Monday, 23 March. Key features of the package include:
- A lump sum payment of $750 paid from 31 March 2020 to 6.6 million eligible payment recipients and concession cardholders.
- A second lump sum payment of $750 to be paid to eligible individuals from 13 July 2020.
- A temporary payment, called the Coronavirus Supplement, of $550 per fortnight to recipients of JobSeeker Payment, Parenting Payment, Farm Household Allowance and Special Benefit paid from 27 April 2020 (since being announced this supplement has been extended to recipients of Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY).
- Expanding access to JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance to assist several groups of people including sole traders and self-employed people, and temporarly waiving the assets test and various waiting periods.
- Increasing the instant asset write-off threshold from $30,000 to $150,000 and expanding access to the write-off to businesses with a turnover of $500 million (previously $50 million).
Labor has argued for, and secured, significant amendments to social security support in the Government’s Economic Support Package. These amendments include:
- Extending the Coronavirus Supplement to around 230,000 students receiving Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY. This will help students working in part-time or casual retail and hospitality jobs whose budgets will be impacted in the same way as other working age social security recipients.
- The legislation will also provide the Government the discretion to fix the income test and to expand payments as needed.
- Using this discretion, the Government agreed to change the partner income test for JobSeeker Payment. Australians who lose their jobs currently receive nothing if their partner earns around $48,000 or more. While the Government has yet to announce the new threshold, Labor’s proposal would have increased the threshold to a little over $72,000.
Labor has also urged the Government to bring some payments forward. The $550 Coronavirus Supplement will not be paid until 27 April 2020 (five weeks from the announcement) and the second one-off payment of $750 will not be received until 10 July 2020 (16 weeks from the announcement). This is too slow.
The Government also has the power to extend support to people on temporary visas, which Labor argues needs to be done where people are required to self-isolate or are in severe hardship with no other way to support themselves.
For more details on what support is available visit the links for: social security payments, business support and the overall economic response.
The Tasmanian Parliament has also passed support measures including interest free loans to small businesses and payroll tax waivers to eligible businesses. Further details on Tasmanian Government COVID-19 support are available here.
Anyone (individual, family or business) who is impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic and would like to know what support is available to them and how they can access it is welcome to call my office or email me. You cannot make inquiries in person as my office is currently closed for the health and safety of my staff and the general public while I and my staff work from home.
Tasmania lockdown
One day after the National Cabinet announced new social distancing measures, the Tasmanian Government has gone a step further and announced strict new requirements.
Tasmanians must remain in their primary place of residence except to travel to work, school, buy essential supplies or to exercise in a public place.
The order is expected to remain in place for a minimum of four weeks and police will be on patrol to enforce it.
Breaches of the order may result in on-the-spot fines of up to $1,000.
The strong guidance from the National Cabinet is that the elderly and people with chronic diseases should self-isolate to the maximum extent possible. People working and studying should do so from home if they are able to.
Help stop the spread
In addition to complying with all Government social distancing directives, the following advice can help you to protect yourself and others and to stop the spread of COVID-19 as well as other infectious diseases.
Thank you to the Tasmanian Department of Health for this information. You can download a PDF copy of this poster on the Department’s website here.
There is also an informative video featuring the ABC’s Dr Norman Swan which explains how taking the right measures will be effective in stopping the spread. Click the image below to open and play the video.
Recognising the symptoms
Here is a brief overview of how you recognise the symptoms of COVID-19 and how they differ from cold and flu. Thanks to the Australian Department of Health for this information. You can download a PDF copy of this poster here.
In brief
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Boarding of pets
Following is a list of facilities in Tasmania with capacity to board the pets of people confined or hospitalised due to COVID-19. Thank you to the RSPCA for providing this information.
SOUTH
- Colebrook Country Boarding Kennels (dogs) 6259 7154
- Shelomith Canine Country Club & Cattery (cats & dogs) 6248 5283
- A Paw Up (for those in disadvantaged circumstances) 0420 363 122
- Little Paws (cats) 6263 6574
- Margate Country Kennels (dogs) 0437 355 856
- Featherheads Tasmania (birds) 0407 148 000
- Kimberley's Home Stays Dog Boarding 0428 568 852
- Best Friends Pet Resort (cats & dogs) 0362486323
NORTH
- Pets Now Boarding (dogs & cats) 6344 7783
- Barker's Boarding Kennels & Cattery 6383 1219
- Just Cats 6388 9202
- Border Collie compatible dogs 0432 329 919
- Cat Sit 0467 766 113
- Longford Park Boarding Kennels 6391 2841
- Grindelwald Kennels & Cattery 6330 1214
- View Bank Cattery & Kennels 6391 8241
NORTH WEST
- Devonport RSPCA (dogs) 6427 2566
- April Badcock (dogs & smaller animals) 0417 104 979
- Cosy Country Kennels (dogs) 0447 375 348
- Ulverstone Boarding Kennels and Cattery 6425 1634
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Support for nbn customers
NBN Co has decided to help retail service providers support residential and business nbn customers.
They will waive charges for additional capacity of up to 40% to retail service providers for at least three months.
Customers on standard nbn Sky Muster (satellite) services will have their data download limits increased significantly, while for customers on nbn Sky Muster Plus services, NBN Co will increase the range of applications that will not count towards monthly data quotas.
This will help meet Australia’s growing broadband requirements as people spend time more time at home working, studying, shopping and streaming entertainment content.
NBN Co is a wholesale provider only, so to find out how these changes will benefit you talk to your retail service provider.
For further information about NBN Co’s COVID-19 response, as well as helpful tips on working from home, visit the NBN Co website.
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Advice for travellers arriving in Tasmania
The Tasmanian Government has declared a State of Emergency and tougher border restrictions for people coming into Tasmania.
All interstate and international visitors to Tasmania must complete a Tasmanian Arrivals Form. Non-essential travellers arriving in Tasmania will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Tasmania. This includes Tasmanian non-essential travellers who are returning to Tasmania.
Essential travellers are exempt from this requirement however they still need to comply with strict quarantine conditions. Essential travellers include people employed in National and State security and governance; health services; transport, freight and logistics; specialist skills critical to maintaining key industries or businesses; emergency services; and anyone who is exempted by the Secretary of the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) including on compassionate grounds.
More information about the new travel restrictions is available here.
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Australian banks support for people affected by COVID-19
Australia’s banks have implemented a number of measures to help customers experiencing financial hardship because of the impact of COVID-19 including a deferral of loan payments for small businesses for six months.
Further information about this assistance is available on the Australian Banking Association website, or on the websites of ANZ, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank.
If you are impacted by COVID-19 and would like to know what assistance is available please contact your bank.
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Stay alert for COVID-19 scams
Scamwatch Australia is receiving an alarming number of reports that unscrupulous people are taking advantage of the spread of COVID-19 to exploit Australians.
If you receive an unsolicited phone call, email or other communication about COVID-19 related health products, economic stimulus payments or investment opportunities, consider carefully whether it may be a scam.
Do not open attachments or click links in emails. Do not respond to unsolicited messages or calls asking for personal or financial details. If you receive a call purporting to be from a government agency but you're not sure if it's legitimate, hang up and ring the agency back on their publicly listed phone number.
As for health product offers, no known cure or vaccine currently exists for COVID-19.
If you think you've been scammed, make a report to Scamwatch.
Further information about COVID-19 scams, including how to protect yourself, is available on the Scamwatch website.
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National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) COVID-19 measures
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has made a number of changes to the NDIS in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For participants these changes include:
- On the day a plan is due to expire, it will be automatically be extended by 365 days (previously automatic plan extensions were for 28 days).
- While all NDIA offices remain open the agency will be reducing its face‑to‑face interactions. Plan review meetings will be conducted by phone, email and webchat.
Further information on these and other changes is available on the NDIS website.
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CoronaCheck
During the COVID-19 pandemic it is vital that everyone is alert to fake news, incorrect advice and other disinformation about the disease. The spread of this disinformation has the potential to risk our health and the health of others.
RMIT ABC Fact Check has released CoronaCheck, an email newsletter which delivers the latest fact-checking from around the world in relation to COVID-19.
You can subscribe to updates from CoronaCheck online here.
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Aurora Energy support for COVID-19 affected customers
Aurora Energy has been working with the Tasmanian Government to support business and residential customers with the impacts of COVID-19.
The following measures have been taken:
- A price increase cap for 12 months on energy bills.
- A 100% waiver for all small business customers on their next energy bill after 1 April 2020.
- A $5 million Customer Support Fund to help residential and small business customers affected by the pandemic.
More information about this support package is available on Aurora Energy’s website. |
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