Rex Patrick (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

I have a couple of questions in relation to businesses that are seeking to provide their workers with basically a tie-over until these payments commence in May. I believe that's the advice on the fact sheets. I've had a couple of constituents contact me and basically say that they've been to their bank and their bank is refusing to provide them with enough money to cover off on the jobseeker payment.

I spoke with Anna Bligh this morning. She said that there may be some latency issues associated with some banks understanding what all of the requirements are. Can you please lay out what the government has done formally in respect of communicating with banks to make sure that these businesses can tie themselves over until the May payment?

Secondly, I spoke to someone in a bank this morning who said that they still have quite rigid requirements in respect of the regulator that require them to go through a number of hoops. Are there any changes in that space in respect of directions to banks to ensure that people are not tied down in paperwork as they—and I'm talking about businesses—are seeking access to loans from banks to cover them between 30 March and the first payment, which is expected to come some time in early May?