Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In this House we are all acutely aware of the myriad challenges which Australians have faced and are currently facing, from the drought and bushfires to the global coronavirus pandemic and to the devastating financial repercussions it has caused. We're in the midst of a once-in-a-generation health challenge and an associated economic downturn. We invested more than $8 billion to protect the health of Australians, including sourcing additional ventilators and personal protective equipment and making plans for our hospitals to respond to a surge in cases.

To deal with the economic impacts of coronavirus, the government has also rolled out a range of programs to keep Australians in jobs, businesses open and the economy resilient. A total of $260 billion, equivalent to an astounding 13.3 per cent of GDP, is being injected into the economy by the Morrison government and by the Reserve Bank. Our economic support package includes assistance for households and individuals, including casuals, sole traders, retirees and those on income support; and assistance for businesses to keep people in jobs, and regulatory protection and financial support to stay in business. Payments are rolling out for the $70 billion JobKeeper program, and it includes a $1,500 fortnightly wage subsidies for 3.5 million Australians.

Over recent weeks, I've been visiting businesses in my local community in Reid to speak to them about how they have been able to adapt to operating under the COVID safe workplace guidelines. Many business owners have said that the JobKeeper payment has allowed them to keep their doors open. As restrictions have eased, it has meant that they do not need to re-engage or retrain staff to serve their customers. Businesses such as Watergrill restaurant at the Sydney Rowing Club, in Abbotsford, have been able to continue to employ their casual and part-time employees; and, when the club reopened on 1 June, they were ready to serve customers. SASS Hair & Body in Concord received JobKeeper payments for their team and stayed open during the peak of restrictions. Ken Petrino, the owner, has told me that business has picked up over recent weeks as customers have gained more confidence, but he was grateful that JobKeeper was available when things were very quiet.

JobKeeper has provided financial relief not only for business owners but also for workers in vulnerable industries such as tourism, hospitality, entertainment and the arts. It remains the case that, in the absence of the JobKeeper program, Treasury expected the unemployment rate would be around five percentage points higher.

We've expanded the instant asset write-off scheme and increased the threshold to $150,000. We've backed in new capital loans for small and medium enterprises by guaranteeing up to 50 per cent of new loans for eligible lenders. We've subsidised wages for apprentices and trainees in small businesses to keep them connected to their employers—to continue building our workforce. The government has also provided a cash flow boost to businesses and not-for-profit organisations to help them continue to operate. Employers are receiving a payment equal to 100 per cent of their salary and wages withheld, up to a total of $50,000, to help them pay their bills. In Reid, the Children's Tumour Foundation, which is based in Five Dock, have told me that they've been hit hard by reduced donations and limitations on fundraising events. This payment has allowed them to retain their staff and pay their bills.

As restrictions ease, we're focused on generating more jobs across the economy, from bringing forward major infrastructure investments through to small constructions and renovations of homes. In my electorate of Reid, the local road and community infrastructure program will see more than $3 million invested in smaller scale community infrastructure across six councils, including Burwood Council, City of Canada Bay council, City of Parramatta Council, Cumberland council, Inner West Council and Strathfield council. I'm looking forward to seeing these projects rolled out for our community but also for the creation of local construction and planning jobs and for the local businesses supplying materials for these works.

The opposition has given us a great opportunity today to outline the many ways that the Morrison government are supporting Australian workers and businesses, and how we have cushioned the economic blow of the global coronavirus pandemic. The Prime Minister demonstrated last week that, despite being in recession, we are faring significantly better than many countries around the world. While our road to recovery will not be easy, our government is renewing confidence in our economy and has set a solid foundation for our post-pandemic rebuild, and I congratulate the Prime Minister and the Treasurer for their strong leadership during this extremely challenging time.

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