EMPLOYERS need to educate themselves on all aspects of the new JobMaker scheme to avoid discriminating against older workers, according to Employsure, Australia’s largest workplace relations advisor to more than 28,000 small and medium-sized enterprises.

The JobMaker wage subsidy, which has been designed to avoid youth unemployment and boost the job prospects of those aged 16 to 35 years old, has officially passed Parliament.

The hiring credit will allow employers to receive $200 per week if they hire workers between 16 to 29, or $100 a week for workers hired between 30 to 35. The money will be paid quarterly by the ATO starting from February.

“This is a big win for small business owners and will help assist them in their recovery, after a year of financial struggle brought on by COVID-19,” said Employsure managing director Ed Mallett.

“JobMaker will help provide that bit of extra support for employers who desperately need any help they can get and will assist in bringing more young people back into the workforce.”

Since the details of the scheme were announced in the October budget, there have been concerns raised by some groups, including Federal Labor, that it would lead to older workers being let go and replaced by younger staff.

However, to qualify for the scheme, employers will have to increase their headcount and payroll, meaning the subsidy will only apply to new recruits, and employers can’t simply replace older staff with a younger worker.

The prospective employee must also be already receiving a government payment such as JobSeeker or Youth Allowance for at least one of the three months prior to their date of employment and must work at least 20 hours of paid work a week.

“This is a complex scheme, and employers need to ensure they are abiding by all aspects of it before attempting to take on anyone new,” Mr Mallett said.

“SMEs need to know their obligations while abiding by discrimination laws. What we don’t want to see is employers being caught out by letting go of older staff for the sake of hiring new people.

“An employer can land themselves in hot water under either the Fair Work Act or various anti-discrimination bodies if they fire someone due to their age, regardless of their intention.

“The scheme also only applies to workers who have been hired since October 7, so employers who haven’t hired anyone since then need to know they won’t be eligible until they bring in someone else new.

“JobMaker has been designed to help keep struggling businesses open by allowing them to hire younger staff to help in their rebuild. As long as they abide by the rules, this could be that bit of extra support needed to start 2021 on the front foot,” he concluded.

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PARLIAMENT’s Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories has opened an inquiry into enabling communications infrastructure in Australia’s external territories of Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Committee Chair, Anne Webster MP, said, “The remoteness of Australia’s external territories makes providing communications infrastructure, technology and services particularly challenging, while at the same time even more important to the daily lives of residents.

“In addition, ensuring communications infrastructure is fit for purpose is important for the ongoing social and economic development of Australia’s external territories.

“The Committee will examine the current communications situation in each of the territories, activity underway to enhance connectivity and services, and the options and opportunities for improving availability of and access to communications infrastructure," Dr Webster said.

“We look forward to hearing from all interested people and organisations, including residents and businesses in the external territories.”

The Committee is accepting submissions addressing the terms of reference until January 27, 2021. Further information on how to prepare and lodge a submission can be found on the inquiry website. Public hearings are expected to be held during 2021.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy has called for submissions for an inquiry into two climate change Bills, sponsored by Zali Steggall OAM MP.

Chair of the Committee, Ted O’Brien MP noted that the Bills propose a change in how Australia manages climate change and the Committee looks forward to considering all views on this important subject.

Over the last 12 months, the Committee has managed parliamentary inquiries into nuclear energy, bushfires and feral cats, and it has also inquired into a Bill on Scope 3 emissions proposed by Mr Andrew Wilkie MP.  

“As always, the Committee will assess the information presented with dispassionate independence before drawing conclusions,” Mr O’Brien said.

The Bills were referred to the Committee by the House of Representatives on November 11, 2020 for its inquiry and report. The Bills are the Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) Bill 2020 and the related Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2020.

The substantive Bill sets out a framework of national climate change risk assessments, national plans for adaptation, an emissions reduction target and emissions budgets.

The Bill would establish an independent Climate Change Commission to advise the Government on these, and to monitor and report on progress. The consequential Bill seeks to amend a number of other Commonwealth laws to reflect the changes made by the substantive Bill.

To contribute to the inquiry, make a submission. Submissions to the inquiry will be accepted until November 27, 2020.

Submissions must be relevant to the terms of the Bill. Details about the Bill and how to make a submission are available on the inquiry website at www.aph.gov.au/ClimateChangeBills2020. The preferred method of receiving submissions is by electronic format lodged online using a My Parliament account.

The Committee intends to hold public hearings which will be announced in due course on the inquiry website. 

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THE Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee will hold a public hearing tomorrow as part of its Review of the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Bill 2020.

The Committee will hear from the Law Council of Australia, the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australian Federal Police, the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Home Affairs.

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

Public Hearing Details

Date: Friday, 13 November 2020
Time: 10.30am – 3:30pm (AESDT)
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

A program for the hearing can be found here.

Due to ongoing COVID-19 requirements, teleconference and video conference facilities will be used to connect witnesses to Committee Members. The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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