ATO asked to investigate Greens’ JobKeeper claim

Labor frontbencher Murray Watt has asked the Australian Taxation Office to investigate claims the Queensland Greens tried to misuse the JobKeeper scheme.

Senator Murray Watt has called on the Australian Taxation Office to investige claims the Greens misused the JobKeeper scheme.

Labor frontbencher Murray Watt has asked the Australian Taxation Office to investigate claims the Queensland Greens tried to misuse the JobKeeper scheme.

Senator Watt wrote to ATO deputy commissioner James O’Halloran after The Australian revealed one of the Queensland Greens’ most senior officials ­offered an outgoing employee a “good deal’’ where he would delay his formal resignation and take JobKeeper payments without doing any work.

The deal offered by Queensland Greens secretary Kitty Carra to former party campaigner John Meyer would have lasted four weeks from August 31 to ­October 2. Mr Meyer rejected the offer.

ATO second commissioner Jeremy Hirschorn told Senate ­estimates earlier this week that such a practice was “not allowed” as the Job-Keeper program was intended to restore the link between employers and their workers.

The Australian has sought comment from Ms Carra and the party’s sole state MP, Michael Berkman, but has been referred to Queensland Greens convener Penny Allman-Payne, who denied any wrongdoing from the party.

“John was never paid JobKeeper while on leave without pay,” she said.