Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

As I was just about to remark, we put the jobseeker payment and its increased capacity in place because we knew there would be those who would not be ultimately eligible for other measures we may consider. What we have done with JobKeeper is ensured it's extended to casual employees for those who have been with their employer for 12 months or more, a status that is already recognised under Australia's taxation system. In putting together the $130 billion package, that is where we ultimately drew the line. When you're putting these lifelines in place, you have to draw lines somewhere. When we drew that line, we knew we could do it, knowing full well that we had already acted to put the jobseeker safety net in place for those who wouldn't be eligible under the JobKeeper program. So we have put our arms wide out as a government and as a country to support those who have been impacted by the devastating effects of the coronavirus in our economy.

The jobseeker program and the JobKeeper program work together. They work together to provide the foundational supports in our economy and in our community to ensure that we can help Australians get through these crises. That was the reasoning behind our decision, and we will continue to ensure that that support is in place. But, as I've said on a number of occasions, it is so important we find our way through and out, because these lifelines cannot be in place indefinitely. That is why we are working on the health issues, to ensure that we get back to a position as quickly as we can and, subject to the health advice, to ensure that we get our economy moving again.

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