MASTER BUILDERS Australia has commended the Federal Government’s move to support business through the economic shock of COVID-19 by amending its procurement and contracting arrangements. 

Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builder Australia said, “The measures to give relief on contract terms and speed up payments  announced by the Minister for Finance today is an extremely positive initiative that will bolster confidence among building and construction businesses working on federally funded construction projects.

“It’s very pleasing to see the government making an effort to be a ‘model procurer’ and setting a good example in providing relief to businesses whose provision of goods and services is affected by COVID-19,” Ms Wawn said. 

“Master Builders has been calling for this measure since the onset of the economic emergency brought on by the coronavirus and it’s really good to see the government has been listening. We must also give credit to the Defence Department which moved early on to provide this kind of support to its suppliers. 

“Now we just need more private sector clients to follow the government’s example and also do the right thing and not take commercial advantage during the COVID-19 crisis,” Ms Wawn said.

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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THE National COVID-19 Coordination Commission has created an online planning tool to help business develop a plan to keep their workers, customers and the community safe as they reopen or increase their activities in the weeks and months ahead.

NCCC chair Nev Power said businesses were affected differently by restrictions and everyone needed a plan for when restrictions changed.

“It’s been a really tough time for business owners and their employees, and it will continue to be challenging as we head into a staged recovery," Mr Power said. "We should acknowledge the tremendous efforts of employers and workers, and make sure that we’re looking after each other as we work our way through this pandemic.

“The sooner we can get businesses open and people back in work, the sooner our lives and livelihoods can be rebuilt as our economy recovers. At the same time, as restrictions change, we need to make sure that both workers and customers are safe.

“There’s a huge effort going on across government through Safe Work Australia, industry bodies and health departments to help businesses to have COVIDSafe plans in place.”

The tool brings together information from across government on the range of help and assistance available to support businesses. This tool complements the Safe Work Australia online hub, which remains the definitive source of information for businesses to understand their work health and safety obligations. 

“We need businesses everywhere to get behind the safety protocols and have their COVIDSafe plans in place," Mr Power said.

“One of the key things will be to maintain our discipline around physical distancing and hygiene. Our success depends on everyone – business owners, workers, customers – keeping up our practices of handwashing, social distancing, covering our sneezes and coughs, staying home if you are unwell, getting tested if you have symptoms and downloading the COVIDSafe app,” Mr Power said.

Businesses should seek advice from their local WHS authority, Safe Work Australia, or contact the Fair Work Ombudsman to ensure they meet all their legal obligations.

The online planning should take about 30 minutes to complete and leave businesses with a clear idea about what they will do to keep people safe, how they will get their business back up and running and how they might adapt their operating model.

It will also help businesses to plan practical steps such as organising supplies, updating insurance and reactivating subscriptions, and provides links to the assistance available to help them reopen, including help with cash flow, wages and loans.

The tool can be downloaded from the NCCC website.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) will hold three public hearings this week for its Review into the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (International Production Orders) Bill 2020.

The chair, Andrew Hastie MP, said, "The Committee has received a number of submissions from government, communications, and civil society on the international production orders bill.

"These hearings will allow for the Committee to engage with a wide range of stakeholders on topics relevant to consideration of the bill."

Teleconference facilities will be used to connect witnesses to Committee members.

Public hearings

12 May 2020

3.30pm – 5.30pm 

Committee Room 1R1, Parliament House, Canberra

13 May 2020

9.30am – 12.30pm

Committee Room 1R1, Parliament House, Canberra

14 May 2020

9.30am – 12.30pm

Committee Room 1R1, Parliament House, Canberra

Programs for the hearings can be found here.

Audio of the hearings will be streamed at aph.gov.au/live.

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

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will hear from ME Bank and Industry Super Australia at an urgent public hearing by videoconference on May 14, 2020, as part of its ongoing review of the four major banks and other financial institutions.

The chair of the committee, Tim Wilson MP, said, "Australians who put their savings into the bank or entrust it with a superannuation fund rightly expect it to be secure.

"The conduct of ME Bank has raised urgent questions about the security and flexibility of the savings of Australians with their mortgage products and necessitates scrutiny," Mr Wilson said. 

"Australians trust superannuation funds with significant savings, they hold a fair expectation that funds will provide accurate information and will act promptly if they are eligible for early withdrawal. The conduct of Industry Super Australia in publishing dubious calculations about the impacts of early withdrawal will be examined, as will processes to stop fraud," Mr Wilson said.

"Members' equity should be paramount, and concerns about liquidity also need to be answered. It was only in November last year that the sector dismissed this committee’s concerns about liquidity prompted by substantial investments by funds in illiquid assets," Mr Wilson said.

"As the superannuation system is a significant mechanism enabling Australians to support themselves in retirement, it is crucial that the superannuation sector is operating effectively, fairly and for the benefit of fund members.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has also raised a number of issues, including how banks and the superannuation sector are supporting affected customers and members," Mr Wilson said.

Public hearing details 

Date: Thursday, 14 May 2020
Time: 9.30am to 12.30pm
Location: Videoconference

9.30am – Industry Super Australia
10.50am – Break
11.00am – ME Bank
12.30pm – Finish

The hearings will be webcast at aph.gov.au/live.

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