NT businesses caught rorting JobKeeper scheme should face harsh punishment, says Chamber of Commerce CEO

TERRITORY businesses caught trying to rort the Federal Government JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme should receive harsh punishment, according to Chamber of Commerce NT chief executive officer Greg Ireland.

Territory businesses caught trying to rort the Federal Government JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme should receive harsh punishment, according to Chamber of Commerce NT chief executive officer Greg Ireland (pictured). Picture: Helen Orr

• $130b wage subsidy will ‘breath life’ back into NT economy, say business leaders

TERRITORY businesses caught trying to rort the Federal Government JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme should receive harsh punishment, according to Chamber of Commerce NT chief executive officer Greg Ireland.

Mr Ireland said unscrupulous behaviour, where a business tried to manipulate the hours and working conditions of staff desperate for work, should be made an example of.

The fear has been raised that casuals still in work who miss out on the payment could be sacked by their current employer and those that do meet the requirement will remain employed, but told to work longer shifts and only receive the $750/week Federal Government payment.

“Anyone who does the wrong thing is being selfish and we don’t want that and I hope they are punished severely … there is no place for this type of behaviour,” Mr Ireland said.

“If anyone breaches paying an employee their rightful entitlements, they deserve to be held accountable by the ATO and punished accordingly.”

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Mr Ireland said employers needed to do the right thing by staff and the right thing by those reaching out to help them.

“This is all auditable as to where that money gets spent,” he said.

“If you are claiming it, you should pass it through to your employees how you are meant to – either adjusting that employee’s hours to match the dollars or topping them up if you are actually using them in their full capacities.

“This is an area that will need a bit of strong policing, but the data should be there for that to happen, by the ATO.

“If your business is in mothballs and you can’t trade, you do have the ability to just pay people the $750 and essentially you are reducing (what) they are being paid for.

“This payment is to ensure you have a workforce when you reopen your doors.

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“For those people who haven’t closed their doors and try to alter pay offering the $750 for hours worked that normally would have drawn a higher wage because of an existing commercial agreement with an employer, they need to be held to account.

“We encourage businesses to do the right thing by everyone. We are all in this together.”