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Committee recommends abolition of ParentsNext

THE Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services today tabled its interim report into ParentsNext, and recommended that the controversial program be abolished.

Committee Chair, Julian Hill MP, said, “It is clear that ParentsNext is not the flexible, compassionate, supportive service that is needed. It has become too damaged and should be replaced with a supportive service to help vulnerable parents.

“Governments have a responsibility to support parents to achieve full economic and social participation. This is a moral imperative and an economic priority.

“Parents have a right to choose to actively parent their babies and very young children, and this right should not be available only to wealthy parents. Caring for young children is work which used to be valued in its own right, and a mandatory focus on preparing parents of very young children for future employment is a very patriarchal view of caring and doesn’t take account of enormous diversity in the needs of families and children.

“The committee recommends sweeping changes to ParentsNext before it is abolished to allow a new pre-vocational service to be designed and put in place. These include the removal of Parenting Payment cancellations, full payment suspensions and onerous participation and reporting requirements.

“Major changes are also proposed to the way a future service is delivered, including reducing competition between providers and having a public sector agency — probably Services Australia — deliver the service in at least a few regions.

“We thank the inspiring parents and workers who spoke up for their time and, at times raw, honesty. Those conversations directly inform our report and will stay with us as we continue our work.”

The committee’s unanimous report makes 30 recommendations. Key recommendations include that ParentsNext be abolished at the end of its current contract and replaced with a pre-vocational service focused on building participants’ capacity and helping them realise their individual goals, and which truly values parenting. The service must be co-designed with people who will be most impacted by the new service.

Most of the committee’s other recommendations relate to design and implementation of the new service, including draft eligibility and participation requirements, compliance and enforcement; commissioning and service delivery; funding and resources; skills and training requirements; and supporting innovation, experimentation, and robust, data-driven evaluation.

To allow for the co-design and implementation of the new service, short contract extensions will be required. In the meantime, the committee has called for a transition plan to be released by the government by this July, outlining changes that can be implemented as soon as possible, to address serious concerns identified and provide ParentsNext participants with a more positive and supportive experience before the new service is in place.

Some of the themes and issues covered in this interim report, such as skills and training for frontline staff, and the role of government in service delivery, will also be examined as part of the committee’s broader in inquiry into Workforce Australia Employment Services.

Information about the inquiry, including the interim report, Terms of Reference, future public hearings, published submissions and hearing transcripts, is available on the inquiry website.

 

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Reinvigorating Australia’s tourism and international education sectors

On Tuesday, March 2, the Trade Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hold its first public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s tourism and international education sectors.

Chair of the Trade Subcommittee, Senator Deborah O’Neill said, "Australia’s international education and tourism sectors have experienced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when Australia’s borders closed."

The Subcommittee will hear evidence from higher education institutions, peak bodies, regulatory bodies, and international students to gain an understanding of the challenges and opportunities for growth in each sector.

"Noting that Australia has since opened its borders, the Subcommittee is interested to hear about how both sectors are recovering and rebuilding. The inquiry will assist the Subcommittee to understand different experiences and views and it is hoped it will provide greater insight into how the Australian Government can support these sectors as they recover from the effects of COVID-19 border closures," Senator O’Neill said.

Further information about the inquiry and the public hearings program are available on the inquiry webpage.

Public hearings details

SydneyDate: Thursday, 2 March 2023Venue: Room 3, Level 8, Building 8 (UTS Business School: 14 - 28 Ultimo Road, Ultimo, Sydney)Time: 8:40am – 2:30pm (AEDT)

The hearing will also be live streamed on the APH website: aph.gov.au/live.

 

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Superannuation needs reform says ACOSS

SUPERANNUATION tax concessions must be reformed to reduce inequality and ensure government assistance is targeted to those who need it the most, according to the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS). 

With one in eight people in Australia living in poverty and the cost of living crisis continuing to bite, the Federal Government is right to scrutinise unaffordable, unfair tax breaks for the wealthiest in our society, ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie said. 

She said superannuation concessions "cost the community an eye-watering $52 billion a year -- money that could be used to reduce poverty and fund essential public services such as health and aged care".

Ms Goldie welcomed the Treasurer’s move to legislate an objective for superannuation to make sure the system is equitable and sustainable.

“The Treasurer is absolutely right to be concerned about the ballooning cost and inequity of tax breaks for superannuation, which do not benefit people on the lowest incomes,” she said.

“The system has become a tax avoidance scheme that allows people who are already very well off, who are mostly men, to build up huge balances that are more than enough for a decent retirement and often passed on to adult children.

“Today at the Senate Inquiry into poverty, I urged the government to do more to assist the millions of people who are struggling to afford the essentials of life such as rent, food, energy and medicines.

“To provide a fair and inclusive society we must make the right choices about who needs more government help and who needs less. Scrutinising unfair super tax breaks is a useful place to start.”

ACOSS presented what it called 'key facts' at the hearing that summed up the situation today:

  • Superannuation tax concessions cost the Budget $52 billion a year, almost the cost of the Age Pension ($55 billion);

  • Most of the benefit of superannuation tax breaks goes to the highest 20 percent of people by income; and

  • Once a fund member retires, the investment income of their account is completely tax free. This is not sustainable when governments are already struggling with the costs of quality health and aged care.

www.acoss.org.au

 

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New approaches to gambling harm minimisation

THE House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold public hearings on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, March 1 as part of its inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm.

Chair of the Committee, Peta Murphy MP said, "On Tuesday, we will hear from researchers and state and territory governments about the effectiveness of current online gambling harm minimisation measures, and new approaches that may be necessary to reduce harm.

"We have heard strong evidence calling for further restrictions on gambling advertising, and state and territory governments have suggested they are open to considering further reforms to limit the exposure of children and young people to gambling advertising. Further restrictions on gambling advertising are opposed by broadcasters, such as commercial radio and audio, who will also be appearing on Tuesday," Ms Murphy said.

On Wednesday, the committee will scrutinise the current regulation of simulated gambling and gambling-like activities in interactive games, as well as the effectiveness of current counselling and support services to address online gambling harm.

Ms Murphy said, "There is growing concern in Australia, and internationally, about the increasing accessibility of loot boxes in video games and social casino games on mobile devices and their potential to introduce children and young people to features that resemble gambling.

"The committee will hear from researchers and industry about these games and whether changes to legislation or the classification system are required to reduce the risks of harm to children and young people," she said.

"On Wednesday, the committee will also hear from counselling and support services to learn more about the effectiveness of current gambling services and barriers to seeking help. This evidence will be critical to the committee making practical and informed recommendations to ensure that people are able to access the help they need, when they need it," Ms Murphy said.

Programs for the committee’s upcoming hearings are available on the inquiry website here.

The hearings will be live streamed on the APH website: www.aph.gov.au/live.

Public hearing details

Date: Tuesday, 28 February 2023Time: 8:30am to 4:10pm AEDTLocation: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

Date: Wednesday, 1 March 2023Time: 8:30am to 4:10pm AEDTLocation: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions, hearing dates and transcripts, are available on the inquiry webpage.

 

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Treaties Committee to consider ILO violence and harassment convention

THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold a public hearing today into the International Labour Organization Convention concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work (No. 190).

Committee Chair, Josh Wilson MP said, “The Convention is the first international agreement to address the pervasive problem of violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment.”

The scope of the Convention is broad, extending beyond traditional workers and covering persons regardless of their contractual status, working arrangements, or the type of violence and harassment to which they may be subject. The Convention requires the adoption of an ‘inclusive, integrated and gender-responsive approach’ to preventing and eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, which binds the individual elements of the Convention together.

“The Australian Government advises that Australia’s law, policy, and practice is already consistent with the Convention’s obligations, but in keeping with its accountability function the committee will examine this and other issues during the public hearing,” Mr Wilson said.

Public hearing details

Date: Monday, 27 February 2023Time: 1.45pm – 4pm AEDTLocation: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House

The hearing can be accessed online and the program for this hearing is available on the Committee website, along with further information about the inquiries.

 

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PJCIS reports on committee activities for 2021-22

THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has today tabled its Annual Report of Committee Activities 2021-2022. The report covers the financial year from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.

Over the review period the committee undertook a significant volume of work across 21 inquiries and presented 17 reports on a range of complex national security matters. The Committee’s work included scrutiny of bills before Parliament, statutory reviews of legislation, two administration and expenditure reviews of the intelligence agencies, reviews of terrorist listings, and two policy inquiries.

The committee’s activities for the review period ceased in April 2022 with the end of the 46th Parliament.

Chair of the committee, Peter Khalil MP, said, "Effective parliamentary oversight of the intelligence community, undertaken by the PJCIS, is a crucial part of Australia’s democratic infrastructure.

"I acknowledge the work of the Committee in the 46th Parliament, which managed a high workload in a diligent and bipartisan manner, to fulfil the important oversight and inquiry functions of the committee.

"I look forward to reporting on the work of the Committee in the 47th Parliament in due course."

Further information on the functions and role of the committee as well as a copy of the report can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

 

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Public hearing held featuring experts on foreign influence laws

THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security heard evidence yesterday from a range of expert witnesses for the Review of the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018.

The committee heard from a range of witnesses, including former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull AC, Katherine Mansted from the ANU Security College, Alex Joske, and Australian universities and higher education representative bodies. The committee also heard from key government agencies: ASIO, the Department of Home Affairs and the Attorney-General’s Department.

“The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS) is the first pillar of sunlight in Australia’s framework for countering foreign interference," PJCIS Chair Peter Khalil MP said.

"The FITS allows for public scrutiny of legitimate influence activities that foreign governments or entities might be conducting in Australia, or through the activities of Australians. 

“The committee has received mixed evidence regarding the operation, effectiveness and implications of the scheme since it commenced in 2018. This public hearing [allowed] the PJCIS to hear from affected entities, as well as expert witnesses regarding the grey area that exists between foreign influence and foreign interference, and whether the FITS is operating as the transparency spotlight it is intended to be.

"The committee will then test that evidence with the Attorney-General’s Department as the Department that administers the FITS.” Mr Khalil said.

Further information on the review and the FITS Act can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

 

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ATO changes 'working from home' deductions

THE Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has refreshed the way that taxpayers claim deductions for costs incurred when working from home. According to the ATO, the changes better reflect contemporary working from home arrangements.

Assistant Commissioner Tim Loh said taxpayers can now choose one of two methods to claim working from home deductions: either the “actual cost” or “fixed rate” method. "Only the fixed rate method is changing," Mr Loh said.

The revised fixed rate method applies from July 1, 2022 and can be used when taxpayers are working out deductions for their 2022-23 income tax returns.

"First things first, make sure you are eligible to claim working from home expenses," Mr Loh said. "To claim your working from home expenses, you must be working from home to fulfil your employment duties, not just carrying out minimal tasks, such as occasionally checking emails or taking calls. Also, you must incur additional expenses as a result of working from home.

"No matter which method you use, make sure to keep records. This will give you more flexibility to choose the method that gives you the best deduction at tax time depending on your circumstances."

Mr Loh said these changes would provide benefits for those using the revised fixed rate in 2022-23.

"Items that are difficult and tedious for everyday Aussies to calculate actual work-use, like phone, internet and electricity expenses, are included in the revised rate," he said. "Assets and equipment that typically give taxpayers a bigger deduction, such as technological items and office furniture, are not included in the revised rate and need to be claimed separately.

"Another benefit is that you no longer need a dedicated home office to use the fixed rate method."

Mr Loh reassured taxpayers who have not kept records so far this income year that transitional arrangements are in place for 2022-23.

"From 1 July 2022 to 28 February 2023, we’ll accept a record which represents the total number of hours worked from home -- for example a four-week diary. From 1 March 2023 onwards, taxpayers will need to record the total number of hours they work from home.

"And remember, you can’t claim for things like coffee, tea, milk and other general household items, even if your employer may provide these kinds of things for you at work."

Revised fixed rate method

The revised fixed rate method can be used from the 2022-23 income year onwards. The changes are:

Rate

  • The cents per work hour has increased from 52 cents to 67 cents.

What’s covered by the rate

  • The revised fixed rate of 67 cents per work hour covers energy expenses (electricity and gas), phone usage (mobile and home), internet, stationery, and computer consumables. No additional deduction for any expenses covered by the rate can be claimed if you use this method.

What can be claimed separately

  • The decline in value of assets used while working from home, such as computers and office furniture.
  • The repairs and maintenance of these assets.
  • The costs associated with cleaning a dedicated home office.

Home office

  • The revised fixed rate method doesn’t require taxpayers to have a dedicated home office space to claim working from home expenses.

Record keeping

  • Taxpayers need to keep a record of all the hours worked from home for the entire income year – the ATO will not accept estimates, or a fpur-week representative diary or similar document under this method from March 1, 2023.
  • Records of hours worked from home can be in any form provided they are kept as they occur, for example, timesheets, rosters, logs of time spent accessing employer or business systems, or a diary for the full year.
  • Records must be kept for each expense taxpayers have incurred which is covered by the fixed rate per hour. For example, if taxpayers use their phone and electricity when working from home, they must keep one bill for each of these expenses.

Actual cost method

The actual cost method has not changed. Taxpayers can claim the actual work-related portion of all running expenses.

This includes keeping detailed records for all the working from home expenses being claimed, including:

  • all receipts, bills and other similar documents to show taxpayers have incurred the expenses, a record of the number of hours worked from home during the income year (either the actual hours or a diary or similar document kept for a representative 4-week period to show the usual pattern of working at home).
  • a record of how taxpayers have calculated the work-related and private portion of their expenses (for example, a diary or similar document kept for a representative four-week period to show the usual pattern of work-related use of a depreciating asset such as a laptop).

The ATO wants to remind taxpayers that if they are claiming their actual working from home expenses, they cannot claim a deduction for expenses which have already been reimbursed by their employer.

More information

No matter which method is used, if taxpayers purchase assets and equipment for work and it costs more than $300, they cannot claim the full amount immediately. For each of these items, the deduction must be claimed over a number of years and the work portion claimed, known as decline in value or depreciation.

The ATO has online calculators to help taxpayers work out the decline in value of assets and equipment purchased. There is also the myDeductions tool in the ATO app, which can help keep track of expenses.

Taxpayers needing assistance or advice about claiming working from home expenses can also seek the assistance of a registered tax professional.

More information about working from home, including example calculations, is available at ato.gov.au/home

 

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Review supports passage of Referendum legislation

THE Parliament’s Electoral Matters Committee has recommended that the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022 be passed, if amendments are made to strengthen enfranchisement and participation in the referendum, particularly of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and clear, factual and impartial information is made accessible to all voters.

Tabling the report last week, Committee Chair Kate Thwaites MP said the inquiry and the legislation were focused on technical aspects of conducting a referendum.

"Above all, the legislation intends to modernise the referendum process and bring it into line with how recent federal elections have been conducted," Ms Thwaites said.

The committee recommended that the legislation be passed, but also that:

  • The Government consider any amendments to support increased enrolment and participation in the referendum, particularly of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including in remote communities.
  • The Government consider any amendments which ensure ​
    • clear, factual and impartial information is made accessible to all voters as part of the referendum process; and
    • clear, factual and impartial information is provided in appropriate formats for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voters, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Read the full report link.

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Committee to hold first public hearing into the implications of severe weather events on the nation’s road network

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport is commencing public hearings for the inquiry into the implications of severe weather events on the national regional, rural, and remote road network.

Exploring planning, engineering, and construction standards to strengthen road resiliency across Australia was the focus of the opening public hearing on February 16, 2023, with Austroads, the member association of Australian and New Zealand transport agencies.

Chair of the Committee, Luke Gosling OAM, MP, said, "The hearing is an opportunity to hear from Austroads about the effects of climate change and natural disasters on the national road network, and the role of the Austroads Guides in promoting a national approach to best practice road design to enhance infrastructure resiliency and support our communities and industries."

The committee intends to hold further public hearings and interested parties are encouraged to make a written submission to this inquiry relating to any or all of the inquiry terms of reference by February 28, 2023.

Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions and hearing transcripts, will be available on the inquiry web page.

 

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Long COVID inquiry to speak with peak bodies, medical researchers and ventilation experts

A PUBLIC HEARING will be held on Monday, February 20, at Cabrini Hospital in Malvern, Melbourne, as part of the House Health Committee’s inquiry into long COVID and repeated COVID infections.

Professor Brendan Crabb AC, the Burnet Institute’s director and chief executive, will appear to further unpack what medical researchers know so far about long COVID and repeated COVID infections.

The public hearing will also hear from peak bodies, other medical researchers and ventilation experts about the effects of long COVID and repeated COVID infections on patients, health workers and schools.

Chair of the Committee, Mike Freelander MP said, "The committee is looking forward to travelling to Melbourne to hear from organisations and researchers who have played central roles throughout the COVID pandemic.

"The committee is interested in hearing about how we may be able to reduce the risk of COVID in highly social settings such as schools, including by investigating the role of ventilation," Dr Freelander said. "We are also looking forward to speaking to peak bodies to better understand how long COVID and repeated COVID infections are impacting Australia’s primary care capability."

Deputy Chair of the Committee, Melissa McIntosh MP said, "COVID is serious, and the committee is asking for expert evidence on preventative measures and issues with multiple reinfection.

"Throughout our inquiry we have repeatedly heard about the importance of preventative strategies such as mask wearing, social distancing and ventilation. We intend to canvass these measures in more detail at this public hearing."

Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference and published submissions are available on the Committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Monday, 20 February 2023Time: 8.30am–5pm AEDTLocation: Cabrini Hospital Education and Training facility, 154 Wattle Road, Malvern, Victoria

Program

8.30am–9.10am: Professor Brendan Crabb AC, Director and CEO, Burnet Institute9.10am–9.50am: Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA)9.50am–10.30am: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)10.30am–11am: Break11am–11.40am: Associate Professor Robyn Schofield, University of Melbourne11.40am–12:20pm: Professor Lidia Morawska, Queensland University of Technology (by videoconference)12.20pm–1.20pm: Break1.20pm–2pm: Professor Geoff Hanmer, Director, OzSAGE2pm–2.40pm: Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Director, Australian Phenome Centre2.40pm–3.40pm: Break3.40pm–4.20pm: COVID Safe Schools Inc (by videoconference)4.20pm–5pm: Australian Education Union5pm: Close

Audio of the hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

 

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