THE FEDERAL Government is being urged to work with industry, unions, and experts to solve critical vulnerabilities in the nation’s supply chains after a leaked Defence Department report revealed essential services would break down within months in a major crisis.

The union also urged the public release of the full report, commissioned by the Defence Department and produced by Engineers Australia, saying the public had a right to know exactly what impacts a breakdown of international trade could have on key sectors of the economy.

The MUA has warned repeatedly that Australia’s reliance on foreign-owned shipping — which carries 98 percent of the country’s imports and exports — make our island nation highly vulnerable to disruptions caused by natural disaster, military conflict, or economic crisis.

The union has been advocating for action since 2015, including through submissions to parliamentary inquiries and by commissioning shipping expert John Francis to produce a report, ‘Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty’, which examined the nation’s reliance on foreign-owned tankers to supply petrol, diesel and jet fuel.

MUA assistant national secretary Ian Bray said the COVID-19 pandemic had provided a stark warning, causing shortages of medical supplies and essential products across the economy.

“This Defence Department report has vindicated our repeated warnings that Australia is incredibly vulnerable to any major crisis that impacts on international trade, revealing how quickly essential services and the broader economy would grind to a halt,” Mr Bray said.

“Of particular concern are indications that essential services like clean water could be impacted within weeks, along with our health system, while the fuel needed to transport food and essential goods would run out in less than two months. Australia has received a clear warning from COVID-19, which has shown how quickly shortages of health products and essential consumer goods can occur when supply chains are impacted.

“Unless there are actions taken to address these risks, a future military conflict, natural disaster, economic crisis or pandemic that cuts seaborne trade will result in catastrophic consequences.”

Mr Bray said the union was urging the Federal Government to release the full Defence Department report and convene an urgent round-table of experts, including industry representatives and unions, to develop potential solutions.

“There are solutions available that would make the country more resilient to a crisis, such as creating domestic stockpiles of fuel and other essential products, increasing local manufacturing capacity, and creating a strategic fleet of Australian-owned vessels to carry essential goods, but they will need cooperation and clear leadership to deliver,” Mr Bray said.

“The COVID-19 crisis has provided an unprecedented opportunity to put politics aside and work together to defend our nation’s long-term interests by securing supply chains and addressing clear vulnerabilities.

“The union has been warning for years that the decline of Australian shipping is a national security risk — a view vindicated by this Defence Department report — which is why we continue to urge the Australian Government to invest in the creation of a strategic fleet.

“When 98 percent of our trade depends on foreign-owned ships, with no guarantee we could continue to access them in a crisis, it is clear that we are in an incredibly vulnerable position.”

The MUA’s report Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty: https://bit.ly/31cDisq

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell SAID small businesses have been given an extension to pay their employees under the JobKeeper program.

Small businesses that had concerns about paying their staff the $1,500 fortnightly JobKeeper payment for the first month prior to payments flowing in early May, now have until May 8 to ensure those payments have been made to their eligible employees.

“This will come as a welcome relief for small businesses struggling with cash flow,” Ms Carnell said.

“Small businesses now have extra time to deal with cash flow pressures as a result of any delays with their financial arrangements.

“It’s especially critical now that those small businesses that had chosen not to apply for JobKeeper because they were worried they couldn’t pay their staff by April 30, do so now.

“The big four banks have established JobKeeper help lines that are dedicated to ensuring small businesses have the funding they need to pay their staff. They are promising to fast-track these applications.

“There are also some fintechs that have released products to help small businesses with cash flow," Ms Carnell said.

“For those small businesses struggling to pay their rent, remember you are only covered by the Mandatory Commercial Tenancy Code of Conduct if you are eligible for JobKeeper, so this could be essential to your business’ survival.”

Businesses have until May 31, 2020 to formally enrol to claim JobKeeper payments.

However, the sooner an employer pays their staff for April and enrols, the sooner the ATO can reimburse them the JobKeeper payments.

Further information can be found at: www.ato.gov.au/general/JobKeeper-Payment

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THE Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) board has announced the appointment of Ainslie van Onselen as chief executive officer of CA ANZ.

Ms van Onselen, who recently spent six years at the Westpac Group including as the managing director of RAMS, commences her role as CEO at CA ANZ on May 18. She succeeds Simon Hann who is interim CEO.

CA ANZ chair John Palermo FCA said the board conducted an extensive search process.

“Ainslie is a great match for the qualities we were looking for," Mr Palermo said. “She’s a nimble thinker with an eye to the future, has a strong record of strategic thinking alongside a proven ability to be agile and a visible advocate for change for a public benefit.

“Her membership body mindset, future focus and digital acumen will be invaluable to make a difference for the profession of Chartered Accountants across Australia and New Zealand.”

He thanked Simon Hann for ably steering CA ANZ through the adjustments required to support members and continue to operate effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based in Sydney, Ms van Onselen is an experienced executive with a background in financial services and as a non-executive director with various listed, government and not-for-profit organisations. She has practised as a litigation lawyer, including as a partner in a specialist corporate and commercial practice in WA.

About Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand is a professional body comprised of more than 125,000 diverse, talented and financially astute members who utilise their skills every day to make a difference for businesses the world over. Members are known for their professional integrity, principled judgment, financial discipline and a forward-looking approach to business which contributes to the prosperity of our nations. 

www.charteredaccountantsanz.com

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CFMEU’s INDUSTRY partner and redundancy fund, Incolink is utilising their health buses to test construction workers for COVID-19 under a new initiative supported by the Victorian Government.

Onsite testing commences tomorrow, Wednesday April 29, at Multiplex’s Melbourne Square, the site which had the second confirmed case of COVID-19 in the industry.  

To welcome the initiative, CFMEU Victoria and Tasmana secretary John Setka will be one of the first from the construction industry to receive a test via the new mobile health buses, with full details listed below.

Mr Setka stressed the importance of this momentous initiative in supporting the health of workers and the construction industry during this time.

“CFMEU Vic/Tas will continue to support any initiative that further protects the safety of construction workers whilst our industry continues to help rebuild the country’s economy," Mr Setka said.

"We are proud to support Incolink to extend the use of their health buses to test for COVID-19 and I encourage all members to utilise this great tool to ensure their safety.”

Incolink’s health bus is supported by a range of industry partners in addition to the CFMEU Vic/Tas, including the PPTEU, ETU, Cbus, MBV and CoINVEST.

Builders and workers can register to have the Incolink Bus visit their workplace at:  http://incolink.org.au/covid19-testing/

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