In light of the Federal Government extending the JobSeeker and JobKeeper programs (http://www.desiaustralia.com/extension-of-the-jobkeeper-payment), NSW Labor has called on the Berejiklian Government to review the effectiveness of their so-called support programs for businesses – especially small businesses.
This was after it was revealed that the State-based programs had very low take-up rates such as its land tax relief where only $2.7 million was provided out of a $440 million fund. In addition, less than half of eligible NSW businesses were provided with payroll tax relief.
NSW Shadow Treasurer Walt Secord and NSW Shadow Minister for Finance and Small Business Daniel Mookhey were responding to the Federal Government’s announcement about the extension of the JobKeeper programs.
Mr Secord and Mr Mookhey called on the Berejiklian Government to review their so-called support programs that have been dramatically under-subscribed because they were “too narrow”.
Mr Secord said: “While we acknowledge the Federal Government’s changes to JobKeeper and JobSeeker, we want to see the NSW Government dramatically improve their assistance to small businesses.
“There are still sections of the community which have missed out on Federal assistance such as casual employees, university staff, the arts sector, and some sole traders.”
Mr Mookhey said: “The Berejiklian Government has engaged in a cruel hoax by making their small business schemes too narrow and denying sole traders and partnerships any support.
“NSW entered the COVID pandemic with a weaker economy and therefore, NSW was more dependent on the JobKeeper and JobSeeker.”
The undersubscribed Berejiklian Government schemes include:
- Providing only $2.7 million of Land Tax relief for landlords and tenants out of a $440 million fund
- Being forced to re-badge and extend the Small Business Grant scheme after denying $350 million of crucial support to struggling small businesses
- Providing payroll tax relief to less than half of eligible NSW businesses (only 19,540 out of 51,697 eligible businesses received deferrals)
Instead the Berejiklian Government has:
- Tried to deny the pay of 400,000 NSW public sectors employees such as nurses, teachers, rail workers and police officers by taking them to court
- Given Liberal Minister Damien Tudehope MLC a $16,920 pay rise; and
- Called for an increase in the GST
The Federal Government’s announced changes:
- From 28 September 2020 JobKeeper payment will drop from $1500 to $1200 a fortnight from October for those who were working over 20 hours a week in February. The payment will drop to $750 per fortnight for those who do not fit this criteria
- From 4 January 2021 to 28 March 2021, the payment for those who were working over 20 hours per week will drop to $1,000 per fortnight. The payment will drop to $650 per fortnight for those who do not fit this criteria
- JobSeeker coronavirus supplement will continue for another three months but will be cut from $550 to $250 a fortnight, meaning people on the program will receive $800 a fortnight after September 28
- Job search requirements will return from August 4
