Tasmanian business owners and workers feel let down by the Gutwein Government and its hands-off approach in providing support through the latest wave of the COVID pandemic.
Shadow Treasurer Shane Broad said the government had failed to listen or provide adequate support with its bungled COVID business package despite having months to prepare the state for the border reopening.
"The Gutwein Government knows Tasmanian businesses and workers are doing it tough but they've established a grants scheme which asks business to jump through hoops and makes their job even tougher," Dr Broad said.
"The government's grants are a slap in the face to many.
"Over the past weeks, Labor has listened to feedback across the state and we are calling on the government to implement further support that will actually make an impact on businesses and support workers.
"Businesses throughout Tasmania have reported that the process to apply for COVID support is too onerous and overly complicated and it must be simplified to reduce the red tape and take the burden away from those businesses who are desperately in need of help.
"The Government must also provide further support to protect jobs in businesses doing it tough by introducing payroll support similar to that available in NSW. This could provide the equivalent of 20 per cent of the businesses payroll for February, up to a maximum of $5,000 a week.
"If we don't support local businesses and jobs now, they might not be here in a few month's time."
Shadow Minister for Small Business Janie Finlay said the Premier needed to listen to business operators and understand the support they needed to ensure their operations continued and supported workers and their livelihoods.
"Businesses need support to trade out of this challenging time," Ms Finlay said.
"The government's grants to date have not adequately recognised that operators take a personal responsibility to ensure workers are supported mentally and financially.
"In every conversation we have had with business operators we have heard about the cash flow issues they are experiencing."
Ms Finlay said the government needs to additionally urgently act to provide relief to eligible businesses through rebates on fixed charges including:
- Network charges on the next power bill
- TasWater fixed charges on the next bill and
- Land Tax relief for commercial premises - provided it is passed on to tenants
"Labor also calls on the government to extend the eligibility of the payroll tax waiver for the current quarter so businesses impacted by the December 15 border reopening can qualify," Ms Finlay said.
| Shane Broad MP Shadow Treasurer Janie Finlay MP Shadow Small Business Minister |
