Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak today in relation to some issues around COVID-19. I know that many of us have been inundated with emails, requests, phone calls et cetera from many of our constituents. But today I want to read into Hansard some extracts of emails from some travel agents in my part of Braddon on the north-west coast of Tassie. One is from a very well-respected couple who have been in the industry for over 36 years. I want to share their words with the chamber today, because I think they spell out some of the anomalies in some of the assistance that's been provided by the government. They say: 'We've weathered the storms before—some large, like the pilots strike, SARS, Gulf War, MERS, the Ansett collapse, terrorism and the like—but nothing like COVID-19, as it's so global and the shutdown complete. As a partnership, the government is doing nothing to allow us to still operate and earn what we are both entitled to, as longstanding taxpayers. When the stimulus was first announced, like so many, it took days to get a Centrelink CRN. We'd never been in the system. This was to seek jobseeker. Why? We have no income. We work every day with more of the same—cancelling, deferring. We live off the suppliers and the airlines' commission. When it's cancelled, it's given back, or it should be, which means a lot of what we've earnt from last July financial year will also be given back. From around February the 8th, we are over 95 per cent down on the previous year and have had no income, and this will go on through the year until all of the 2020 and early 2021 are sorted by the travel providers. Then came JobKeeper. What a relief, until we were advised, as a partnership, only one of us was entitled. Back we go to Centrelink, who very quickly, I must say, rang Murray. The first comment to Murray was, "Oh, you are too old—you have to apply for a pension, and Robyn, the JobKeeper." So, to Centrelink to apply for a pension. Over four hours online for questions that are meaningless when you have assets and really don't want a pension, and a big envelope posted off to Canberra. And to this day, no comment, no acknowledgement, nothing.' Then she goes on to say: 'Speaking with our accountant a few weeks ago, he said that there was no age limit on JobKeeper. So back to the ATO site and, instead of me, register Murray for JobKeeper, and I had to go to Centrelink to register for jobseeker. More fun and games, with two choices of answers. "Are you unemployed?" "No, as I work most days with the travel mess for around seven hours, about 35 hours a week, without pay." Then, the next question: "Has your business been impacted by COVID?" "Yes, it's travel." Then the fun and games begin. All the financials of the business, not much sense showing our working account business account as it's clients' money, not ours. As quick as the supplier pays back our clients' fund, we pay it out, gross, not net. Our industry is left behind. Nowhere in the paperwork is there an area to say what we have earnt from last July is now being refunded. We earn commission paid by suppliers—no-one to speak to, the phone drops out or "call back later". We are busy day after day. Our industry needs support. A cafe has been able to sell takeaways and will soon reopen to diners. Large retailers had a few weeks of closure, and then it will be business as usual. Other industries will bounce back and earn money from when they can open their doors. We won't have business as usual until our borders across the Australia and New Zealand bubble open and the ban on international travel is lifted, which may well hinge on a COVID-19 vaccination, like the current proof of yellow fever, and other considerations like rapid COVID-19 temperature checks, no quarantine periods after travel. We want people to recognise that we have no attention, as all the talk is about how badly tourism or hotels or restaurants are doing. They have at least been able to keep their earnings from the beginning of this financial year. This should not be hard, but no-one is listening because no-one can listen. It's all about online, send forms. Not much gratitude to a couple who have worked tirelessly in their local environment and have paid taxes, respectively, for 60 and 45 years, with no burden on the Australian tax system. But now, there is no salary for either of us. Locally, we were able to receive the Tasmanian government stimulus, $2,500, and we've applied for the business hardship grant of $15,000. That is great if we are accepted. It would pay business expenses to keep us going until better times.'

I have had quite a few emails, but I've picked out a couple. The next person who wrote to me said: 'My business has been taking a turn for the worst for the best part of 10 weeks. The travel industry has been hit the hardest ever since travel cancellations started to happen on our China bookings back in February. Being a sole trader, I do not receive a set wage. I only earn a salary from my commission. Therefore, since the government travel ban and global borders closed, this in turn has ceased any forward bookings for my small business, resulting in nil commission. My workload has not decreased. I'm currently working around the clock for my clients for no salary, to cancel their upcoming reservations or to amend them. Not only has my business had 100 per cent downturn, I'm also having to pay back previous money earnt, my income, on these client files which I've worked, or are working on so hard. Like so many other businesses, we've all been hit, and I understand that we're all under extreme pressure. But I just wanted to reach out and say that travel agents, sole traders especially, are different, in the fact that we haven't just lost our job and wages, but we're still working for no wage and having to refund the moneys that we previously earnt. I'm also unable to apply for another job, as I'm still working for my clients who are cancelling, and I doubt many businesses are having to do this. I have had to reduce my home loan payments, suspend my private health payments, suspend my car loan payments and adjust my PAYG tax instalments and a whole range of other things that I've had to manage so that I can actually manage through the next eight to 12 months, because I'm being very realistic. Cafes, beauty salons, restaurants et cetera will all start to open back up over the coming weeks, but there is no way that I can see myself starting to book international travel until the end of 2020 or even perhaps the start or later of 2021. I have also been successful in receiving the $2,500 small business grant from the Tasmanian government, which I'm extremely grateful for, and I have applied for the JobKeeper payment. I have everything crossed that I will be eligible for this payment. It's the only thing keeping me going at this stage—knowing that this might be possible. I feel that I just needed to speak out on behalf of travel agents in Tasmania, as we really don't have a loud voice when it comes to things like this. So many other job titles are being mentioned in this current COVID-19 crisis, but I haven't heard anyone mention the extremely hardworking and soon-to-be-broke travel agent.'

So those are some of the words out of at least two emails I received from, as I said, travel agents in my neck of the woods in Tasmania. These people have been in business. I'm sure all over the country there are many, many more of these, and I would ask that the government have a look at these issues and at least help these people, because they are affected much more than many other businesses. This is a difficult time for everyone, but these businesses in particular do not see a light at the end of the tunnel until, as they said in their own words—and they know their business—the end of 2020 or, likely, well into the first quarter of 2021.