LOCAL STORIES

Australia is going to the Polls

Warren Strybosch

On the 21st of May Australians will go to the polls to decide which party will form the next federal election.

It will be Albanese first time leading the Labor party in an election since becoming Opposition Leader in 2019. Albanese took office at age 56 and is the oldest first-time Opposition Leader in 59 years, since Arthur Calwell (age 63) took office in 1960.

If Albanese wins office, he will be the 31st Australian Prime minister and he will follow the likes of Kevin Rudd who was replaced by Julia Gillard, the first female prime minister of Australia, only to be replaced by Rudd a few years later after she backflipped on the carbon tax scheme.

Unfortunately, for Albanese, he has not one of those leaders who has stood out over the years. In fact, a lot of people, until recently would have not known who the Opposition Leader of Australia was. It does not bear well for Albanese as he is an unknow quantity and has not warmed himself to the Australian people thus far. Unfortunately, Labor has an uphill battle, and it will be interesting to see if Labor has to joins ranks with the Greens and possibly Clive Palmer to try and secure government. Labor is hoping they will get the numbers but given Albanese is not really leadership material, it will be interesting to see if Labor can pull something out of the bag come this election.

Whereas Mr Morrison is seeking the Coalition's fourth term in office and whilst he might not be liked by everyone in Australia, is a well-known figure who has demonstrated he can make decisions in a crisis. The Coalition re-election theme is one of economic trust and pointing out that if Labor gets in, they are likely to ruin Australia’s economy after it has struggled through tough times of late. Then if you add the Greens and Palmer into the mix, the question will be, will Labor actually be running the country, or will the Greens and Palmer be pulling the strings?

The other issue Labor faces is that Australian’s don’t easily forget what has happened over the last few years, especially in Victoria. With ‘Dictator Dan’ as he was coined during pandemic, Victorians were forced out of work, could not be with their families when they were sick, nor attend the funerals of their loved ones, and it did not stop there. Labor created a society of the vaxxed versus the unvaxxed with the unvaxxed being treated like they were the undead. Ironically, just before the election, the rules surrounding the unvaxxed have nearly disappeared, yet COVID still abounds – maybe Labor is hoping to win the unvaxxed vote? And we have not even dicussed the increased mental health toll we are now facing nor the sexual grooming agenda that seems to be invading our primary schools, where children as young as nine are encouraged to go home and discuss their father’s ejaculation and masturbating habits. The Labor Premiers have a lot to answer for in a lot of areas.

How will Australians vote? Many people we have spoken too are unsure how they will vote. In less than two weeks one thing will be for sure, someone will be in government. God help us all.

Having first mandated what type of bolts should be used on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australian standards are now confronting new challenges in the digital economy and energy spaces.

Up to 4000 new standards will be required over the next decade as Australia encounters energy challenges, digital threats and natural disasters, a new report says.

About 10,000 Australian benchmarks have been developed over the past century, helping design and protect places and infrastructure including Parliament House and Melbourne’s tram network.

National Standards Adapt To New Challenges

“The pace and scope of change is accelerating, brought about by the digitisation of the global economy, innovation, scientific breakthroughs and evolving societal tastes,” Standards Australia chief executive Adrian O’Connell said.

Thousands of new national standards will help with the transition to a digital economy, strengthen cyber attack systems, mitigate the impact of natural disasters and move toward alternative energy such as hydrogen, he says.

“Without the right national standards in these areas, we risk falling behind the rest of the world in terms of best-safety practice.

“This will require the collaboration of experts and the support of governments, industry and civic leaders.” A cyber attack is encountered every eight minutes, costing the economy about $33 billion a year, Standards Australia says. The cost of natural disasters is expected to almost double by 2050, from about $20 billion currently to $39 billion.

In the face of an increasing threat of natural disasters, National Housing Resilience Guides are being examined to show home owners how well equipped their homes are to withstand bushfires, cyclones and floods.

The Iconic Nation Report, released on Monday, details how standards have helped safeguard the operation of Australia’s $1.8 trillion economy. “Many Australians may not realise how many of our most treasured national icons are underpinned by Australian standards,” Mr O’Connell said.

“These include the Port Lincoln tuna pens in South Australia, Port Arthur in Tasmania, Central Park Tower in Perth, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sydney Opera House, Australian War Memorial and Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.” Cyber security, natural disasters, the environment, hydrogen energy and critical and emerging technologies are the five key areas identified in the new report. Standards Australia is the nation’s peak standards development organisation.

Realm ArtBoxes: July - August exhibition

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We are seeking artists for our upcoming ArtBoxes exhibition at Realm, with the theme 'Looking up'.

The Realm Library ArtBoxes are a series of display spaces set into the 'wall of wonder', a constantly refreshed display of new books. The ArtBoxes feature works from emerging and established artists. Click here to view the brief. Submissions close 30 June, 2022.

Director ID – A criminal offence if you do not apply in time

Warren Strybosch

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is responsible for enforcing director ID offences set out in the Corporations Act 2001. It is a criminal offence if directors do not apply on time.

The ATO will start contacting new directors to encourage them to apply for their director identification number (director ID).

Directors who were appointed under the Corporations Act:

• before 1 November 2021, must apply by 30 November 2022. • between 1 November 2021 and 4

April 2022, must apply within 28 days of being appointed. • from 5 April 2022, must apply before being appointed.

Tax agents and accountants cannot apply for a client’s director ID on their behalf. A director must apply for a director ID themselves. The tax agent, bookkeeper or accountant can help their clients to apply for a director ID online by: • telling them when they need to apply • helping them set up their myGovID to a standard or strong identity strength • helping them with the documents they need to prove their identity when they apply online.

You can find more information about who needs to apply for a director ID at abrs.gov.au/deadlines.

Applying for a director ID online

Directors must set up their myGovID with a standard or strong identity strength before they apply for a director ID.

You will need at least two of the following Australian identity documents to prove their identity:

• Drivers licence or learner’s permit • Passport • Birth certificate • Visa (using their foreign passport) • Citizenship certificate • ImmiCard • Medicare card Directors will need additional information that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) knows about them when they apply for their director ID online.

Directors will need additional information that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) knows about them when they apply for their director ID online.

They’ll need their tax file number (not essential, but recommended), residential address as held by the ATO, and information from two documents to prove their identity. Your clients can use any two of these documents:

• Bank account details held by the ATO • ATO notice of assessment • Super account details • Dividend statement • Centrelink payment summary • PAYG payment summary

You can find more information about which documents can be used to prove your identity at abrs.gov.au/verify

#ReturnYourself

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List with us, and we will get you promoted through our website, social media, and local community papers.

Why not consider joining the Find Network as a specialist Aged Care advisor and obtain referral leads from the rest of the Find Network members in your area?

To learn more about these new opportunities, contact Warren on 1300 88 38 30 or email info@findagedcareaccommodation.com.au visit our website at www.findagedcareaccommodation.com.au

Cruise Ships Return After Two-Year Ban

By (Australian Associated Press)

Australian authorities are lifting a ban on cruise liners that’s been in place since March 2020.

NSW, Victoria and Queensland have outlined testing and vaccination requirements for passengers and crew in preparation for the ships to return.

However, Tasmania is still reviewing whether such a move is safe for the island state. Peak body Cruise Lines International Association Australia says the lifting of the ban will be marked by “a carefully managed resumption of operations” in a sector that previously supported more than 18,000 jobs.

The first international ship scheduled to arrive, P&O Australia’s Pacific Explorer, will sail into Sydney Harbour on Monday morning in readiness for its return to service on May 31.

It will be followed at the end of the month by Ponant’s Le Laperouse, which will begin operations between Darwin and Broome on April 28, joining local operators in time for the important Kimberley season. “More than a million Australians took an ocean cruise every year before the pandemic and we now have an opportunity to return to sailing and revive an industry that was worth more than $5 billion annually to the Australian economy,” Cruise Lines Australasian managing director Joel Katz said.

“While no setting is immune from COVID-19, the cruise industry’s new protocols provide among the highest possible levels of prevention, detection and mitigation.” The move comes despite COVID-19 infections remaining stubbornly high.

ATO Debts – They will get their money eventually

The ATO will not always try to recoup debts owed by taxpayers immediately but place it on hold. This type of debt is called a non-pursued debt.

A non-pursued debt is a debt that is not visible on the balance of a taxpayer’s account on the ATO portal. When a debt is placed on hold, the ATO do not undertake any collection action, usually because it is not economical for them to do so. A debt deemed uneconomical for collection action will be re-raised at a later date if the taxpayer becomes entitled to credits, which will be applied to reduce the balance, or if their circumstances change.

So, if you see a debt removed from your tax portal account, don’t just assume the ATO has forgiven that debt. They just have placed it on hold and will most likely recoup it a later date.