THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review into new laws to protect Australia’s infrastructure from sophisticated cyber threats.

The Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure Protection) Bill 2022 was referred to the committee by Karen Andrews MP, Minister for Home Affairs, and has been requested to report in time for the Bill to be passed in the March 2022 sitting period.

The Bill has been introduced to address the outstanding elements of the proposed framework that the PJCIS reported on in its Advisory report on the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020 and Statutory Review of the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018.

The Bill proposes revised measures to introduce:

• Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Programs – revised and reformed in line with the recommendations of the PJCIS report. The form of the programs, the rules defining their content and scope, and ongoing consultation to ensure collaborative design and to avoid regulatory duplication has been highlighted by the government in the Bill’s introduction;
• Declaration of Systems of National Significance and accompanying Enhanced Cyber Security Obligations; and
• Other measures to achieve the outcomes of other recommendations from the PJCIS report, feedback from stakeholders and other realised efficiencies. 

More information regarding the Bill and its referral can be found at the review website.

The committee is requesting submissions to the Bill review by Tuesday, March 1, 2022. The committee has acknowledged the short timeframe for this review, and has provided some principle-based questions and themes to help aid submitters on addressing the key areas the committee will be interested in. These principles are available on the review website.

Prospective submitters are advised that any submission to the committee’s inquiry must be prepared solely for the inquiry and should not be published prior to being accepted by the committee.

Further information about making a submission to a committee inquiry can be found at this link.

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Bruce Billson is set to visit Murwillumbah on Tuesday, February 15, to meet with flood and storm-impacted small businesses.

Mr Billson said he was keen to speak with small business owners that have had flood or storm damage at a feedback session to be held at Murwillumbah RSL Club (10 Wollumbin St, Murwillumbah) on Tuesday from 11.30am-12.30pm.

“We want to hear from small and family business owners who have lived experience of a natural disaster such as floods or storms and have ideas about how best the government can support them to prepare and remain resilient in the case of an unavoidable event,” Mr Billson said.

“What we learn from small businesses in this session, will help inform the work on our current Small Business Natural Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Inquiry, including recommendations to improve education and engagement programs to best target and assist small businesses in preparing for natural disasters.

“I encourage Murwillumbah small and family business owners to take part in this important discussion.”

Small business operators who are unable to make a feedback session can contribute their insights here.

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Bruce Billson is set to visit Lismore on Tuesday, February 15, to meet with flood and storm-impacted small businesses.

Mr Billson said he was keen to speak with small business owners that have had flood or storm damage at a feedback session to be held at Lismore Workers Club (231 Keen St, Lismore) on Tuesday afternoon from 2pm-3pm.

“We want to hear from small and family business owners who have lived experience of a natural disaster such as floods or storms and have ideas about how best the government can support them to prepare and remain resilient in the case of an unavoidable event,” Mr Billson said.

“What we learn from small businesses in this session, will help inform the work on our current Small Business Natural Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Inquiry, including recommendations to improve education and engagement programs to best target and assist small businesses in preparing for natural disasters.

“I encourage Lismore small and family business owners to take part in this important discussion.”

Small business operators who are unable to make a feedback session can contribute their insights here.

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HESTA has welcomed the Federal Government progressing their legislation through the Parliament today, removing the $450 monthly wages threshold for payment of Super Guarantee contributions.

The threshold has unfairly disadvantaged the retirement savings of low paid casual and part-time workers for years, according to HESTA.

“The requirement to earn $450 per month with one employer before you get paid super has compounded financial insecurity for casual and part-time workers, who often have lower pay and are in insecure or precarious work,” HESTA CEO Debby Blakey said.

"More than 80 percent of our members are women. Women are more likely to work in multiple part-time or casual roles with different employers. The result is that they can totally miss out on the benefits of super, which leaves them more vulnerable to poverty as they age.”

Ms Blakey said HESTA had advocated for many years to scrap the $450 super threshold and congratulated the Federal Government on ending a super system inequity that disproportionately impacted women.

“Super is for all Australians and ending this outdated measure helps make our super system fairer for women and those on lower wages,” Ms Blakey said.

“Our members spend their working lives caring for others and the long overdue removal of this threshold will ensure that they’ve now got a better opportunity to enjoy a more financially secure retirement.

“The fact that super continues not to be paid on parental leave remains an obvious gap in our super system that needs to be addressed.”

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