NT News Editorial: Big questions still surround the end of JobKeeper

2020 might be over and done with but our battle to bounce back from COVID-19 continues as JobKeeper cuts begin

THE year 2020 might be over and done with, but our battle to bounce back from COVID-19 continues.

The new year is already looking hopeful, with accommodation providers and cafes, restaurants and bars reporting a significant uptick in business this wet season.

But we know there are still some challenges ahead for businesses in the Northern Territory with the end of JobKeeper subsidy — which is due to finish on March 28 — on the horizon.

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It’s a significant shift we’ll see start to take place today as the JobKeeper safety net is cut down.

The payments are going from $1200 to $1000 per fortnight for workers who do more than 20 hours a week, and from $750 to $650 for workers on fewer than 20 hours.

It’s a cut that had to come, but there are legitimate questions about whether the reduction has come too early.

In the Northern Territory, almost 2000 businesses were still relying on the payment in the December quarter, with a staggering $7bn paid out in wage subsidies alone.

We hope businesses that have their subsides cut will not be casualties.

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NT’s Chamber of Commerce chief executive Greg Ireland previously said that while he expected many businesses to feel the pressures of this cut, he thinks the majority will be able to weather the storm.

Hopefully a vaccine on the way and life slowly returning to normal in 2021 should help that along.