PM brings in $1500 disaster payment for pandemic leave

Опубликованно 26.08.2020 19:51

The Prime Minister announced the measure today just moments after Premier Daniel Andrews detailed the next component of Melbourne’s stage 4 lockdown in response to the second wave of COVID-19 infections.

Today’s announcement covered sweeping restrictions on workplaces, expected to have a significant impact on businesses and cause up to 250,000 job losses.

Mr Morrison fronted the media in Canberra this afternoon and, after months of pressure and a rare alliance of unions and the Business Council of Australia, announced a pandemic leave plan for workers forced to self-isolate.

“What we will be doing is establishing a pandemic leave disaster payment,’’ Mr Morrison said.

“What we’re dealing with here is a disaster. And we need a disaster payment when it comes for people who have to isolate for a period of 14 days through no fault of their own, regardless of their job — what job they’re in or employment they’re in – they need that support.”

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Workers who need to access the leave payment can ring a special hotline for help.

“People would only need to ring the number 180-22-66, I’m advised, from Wednesday,’’ the Prime Minister said.

“That should be turned around fairly quickly. That means that those who need to self-isolate as a result of an instruction by a public health officer – there is no economic reason for you to go to work.”

Mr Morrison said he would also be “encouraging” the Victorian government to ensure that there are appropriate penalties in place for those who do break those public health notices by going to work.

“They’re putting their workmates at risk. They’re putting their employer’s business at risk. They’re putting the broader health at risk,’’ he said.

Workers will be able to access the payment multiple times if they are forced to isolate for a second or even third fortnight period if a workplace has another outbreak.

The payment only applies to Victoria because it is in a declared ‘State of Disaster’ as of 6pm on Sunday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

The PM also asked whether the JobKeeper scheme will need to be provided to thousands of childcare workers who will be stood down under the shutdowns.

While limited childcare services will operate for essential workers, the centres will be closed for all other families.

“I spoke to the Education Minister this afternoon. It’s still a little unclear what is meant by ‘permitted worker’ in the table that was released this afternoon, and we’re seeking some further clarity around that,’’ Mr Morrison said.

“It’s very important that we keep these facilities open so they’re available to people who will need them, and there are a number of ways we can do that.”

Earlier on Monday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg described Victoria’s state of disaster lockdown as a “kick in the guts” for the national economy.

Victoria’s stage 4 lockdown will have a catastrophic impact on the national economy. Picture: Getty Images

The Commonwealth is expected to consider possible changes to JobKeeper’s turnover rules after the Victorian lockdown smashed Treasury’s cost forecasts of the second phase of the wage subsidy.

But there are also fears thousands of businesses could miss out unless the eligibility criteria is reviewed.

JobKeeper is due to reduce from $1500 to $1200 a fortnight next month as part of the scheme’s second phase to run until March.

Under the new rules, companies must prove their turnover is down 30 per cent across several months, a rule that is feared could see thousands of Victorian companies shut down by the government today miss out.

The Treasurer confirmed that the Morrison Government was “looking at eligibility issues” in light of the Victorian coronavirus crisis.

“This is a massive kick in the guts for Victorian businesses. We all want to get to the other side of the coronavirus, no one wanted to see the new cases increase as they have, so everyone recognises that we must try to do everything to get this under control,’’ Mr Frydenberg told the Today show.

“Already, about 975,000 Victorians are on the JobKeeper program and we expect that number to remain high, even beyond the September lockdown period.

“So these are really challenging times. Everyone has to come together. People need to put aside their disappointment, their anger, their despair, their frustration, and they have to follow the rules because we very much are all in this together.

“The JobKeeper payment, at that $1500 payment, supporting 975,000 Victorian workers will continue at that rate until the end of September.

“Now, we have announced that we will be extending JobKeeper for another six months, we are looking at the eligibility issues in light of the situation in Victoria, but the Morrison Government is already contributing around $14 billion into the Victorian economy through the JobKeeper payment, through the cashflow boost, and with JobKeeper going for those months ahead that is an extra $3 billion a month going into the Victorian economy.”

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has stepped up his calls today for action on JobKeeper to reflect the Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne.

“It’s very clear that a range of businesses who did OK in June won’t be doing OK in the September quarter,” Mr Albanese said.

“It’s also very clear that a reduction in support will lead to real hardship as well. This is a case particularly for Victoria, but also for other sections of the community. A number of people were left behind when JobKeeper was announced.

“We want to make sure that more people are not left behind as a result of the changes that have been announced by the Government, and they should revisit that announcement.”

Mr Frydenberg said it was a tough day for Victorians and the state was on the “frontline” of the war against the virus.

“This is devastating,’’ he said.

“The news last night that we are heading for the stage four restriction, that there are curfews imposed, that there are more restrictions on the movement of people throughout the community, of course more school closures. Nobody wanted it to get to this. We feel very much in a warlike situation.

“Every Victorian is on the front line. We can’t afford any holes in our defence so everybody needs to follow these rules. There is only one way out and that is to stem the tide of new cases.”

Mr Frydenberg said he did not yet have a precise figure on how much the lockdown would cost the economy.

“The Treasury is working through that but obviously that 3.3 billion number was not based on stage 4 restriction, nor was it based on restrictions being right across the state,’’ he said.

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