Friday, 24 April 2020
LNP Shadow Minister for Housing and Public Works Michael Hart is warning uncertainty and Labor’s ongoing delays to regulating commercial lease arrangements could cost jobs and lead to businesses closing their doors and never being able to open again.
Mr Hart said it had been weeks since the National Cabinet released a Mandatory Code of Conduct to apply to commercial tenancies, but the Palaszczuk Labor Government was yet to introduce a framework.
“Now more than ever, businesses need clarity and certainty,” Mr Hart said.
“We can’t let this health crisis become a jobs crisis.
“Labor’s inaction on commercial tenancies is leaving both tenants and property owners financially vulnerable.
“It should have been a straight forward exercise for the Labor Government to apply the Mandatory Code of Conduct, but there is still no sight of the regulations.
“The LNP is calling on the government to strike an appropriate balance between the interests of small business tenants and property owners to save jobs.”
Mr Hart said the legislative framework relating to commercial tenancies passed in Parliament on Wednesday, which gave the government power to make further specific regulations to give effect to the National Cabinet Code of Conduct on commercial leasing.
“Businesses shouldn’t be forced to wait any longer for these regulations,” he said.
“They’re needed immediately to provide certainty to all parties during this coronavirus pandemic.
“The LNP has also questioned whether the Government has planned for sufficient resources for both the RTA and QCAT to ensure new mediations are resolved in an appropriate timeframe.
“We are hearing there’s presently a six week wait for new mediation case in the RTA.”
