MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO

THE WORKPLACE RELATIONS ACT: Kate Carnell, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman is absolutely correct the ‘Fair Work Act is not fair, is not working, and we should act’ (see report below), and we have, we sent a letter to the Hon Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment two days ago and told her so.

PENALTY RATES: We would totally agree with Bill Shorten who said in a report published in The Australian, January 25, 2017 under the heading ‘Bill Shorten: compensate workers over penalty rate cuts’ “workers who have their penalty rates cut should be compensated” (see report below). London to a brick the decision soon to be delivered by the Fair Work Commission on “whether to reduce Sunday penalty rates across seven industry awards in the hospitality and retail sectors” will provide for fair off-sets (compensation) where penalty rates are cut.

PAYROLL TAX: Whilst we commented on this subject in last week’s message, as it is an important issue for small business and it seems to be looming as one of the major issues for in the forthcoming election we have decided to revisit the topic.

With all parties spruiking “payroll tax”, except the Liberals, who in a recent tetter to CoSBA the Premier flatly ruled out any further relief. In the fray are Labor and One Nation neither of which have explained the details of by how much nor how it would be funded, but leading the push is the Nationals with their payroll tax to be funded by their audacious mining tax.

In the Nationals WA policy statement for small to medium businesses says they will “increase the payroll tax exemption threshold from $850,000 to $5 million for a period of two financial years. Our plan will also see the diminishing threshold retained for businesses with a wage bill between $5 million and $7.5 million.” That would be great for small business, IF they the Libs win the election, IF the Libs form Government with them and IF they are able to negotiate its implementation with the Libs.

RED TAPE will no doubt also be a major issue in the election, reflecting on the editorial in Monday’s ‘West’ which comments on ‘State does not need more red tape in approval rules’ (see report below) is an indication that the Government is cracking down on “red tape” tie-up by its bureaucracy. Or is it because there is an election looming?