It’s been a busy first month in this role – thank you to all the members, networks, working groups and committees who have welcomed and generously shared their expertise and insights with me.  

We’ve had a strong focus on official correspondence to progress conversations with policymakers this month, including: 

• The ATO, following the listening webinars held late last year (see below for more details) 
• The chair of the House of Representative Standing Committee on Economics, following our appearance in front of the Inquiry into insurer’s responses to 2022 major floods claims – click here to read. 
• The state Attorney-General and Minister for Small Business, to progress a joint proposal to create a Small Business Community Legal Centre.
• The Victorian Ombudsman, recognising her strong contribution and commitment to the sector – click here to read.
• Meeting with advisors to the State Treasurer to further discuss FCVic’s State Budget Submission 2024-25 – click here to read our Budget Submission.  

With partners in the energy consumer space, I’ve also met with the Essential Services Commission (ESC) to further discuss our joint submission to the Victorian Default Offer 2024-25. Thank you to members of the Utilities Working Group who have been contributing to our Jotform with case studies. The ESC was very interested in these case studies from the frontline and has continued dialogue with me on hearing more of these stories to inform opportunities for reform.  

Progressing conversations with the ATO 

Following the listening webinars held late last year, FCVic has written to the ATO with a summary of the key issues raised by members in their interactions with the ATO. Our letter was supported by FCA and other state and territory peak bodies. 

In particular, we raised issues including: 

• recognition of the professional role played by financial counsellors, with a focus on identity verification processes and the training of ATO frontline workers 
• client vulnerability and hardship arrangements, and opportunities for revision of practice guidelines to release certain tax debts and penalty interest 
• establishment of an ATO case management model for clients working with financial counsellors 
• GST fraud cases (Operation Protego) 

Along with Financial Counselling Australia, FCVic has subsequently met with the ATO to discuss our letter, and we plan to continue this conversation. We are pushing for a formal response that will help to inform the items where we can continue to work with the ATO and the items where we may need to escalate our advocacy to MPs and other government decision-makers.  

The full letter can be viewed on the FCVic website here: click here to read.

Advocacy priorities this year 

Thanks to everyone who completed the membership survey. Responses to the advocacy component of the survey will be critical to informing our advocacy priorities. Similarly, activities at the upcoming Summit in March will give opportunities to contribute to our mapping of the policy and law reform landscape, so register now if you haven’t already! I’m also making it a priority to attend all the networks and working groups over the coming months, with a view to understanding the core issues that each group is grappling with for their clients.  

All these activities will be data points into an advocacy campaigns plan for the coming months and years which will help direct FCVic’s advocacy work in a way that targets those reform opportunities with the most impact for clients, and the most likelihood of success.