Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

COVID-19 has been a battle fought on many fronts. Firstly, this is of course a health issue—probably the greatest health issue many of us will see in our lifetimes. The COVID-19 health crisis has elicited a response from government which has been unprecedented, and the Minister for Health should be commended for his work. Second, we are fighting an economic battle. We have endured unseen demand shocks, the full effects of which I'm sure we have not fully seen. The Treasurer has coordinated a world-leading response, and his tireless efforts have helped save the livelihoods of millions of Australians. Our focus is now on building confidence and momentum in our economy and resetting to help grow the economy for the years ahead. The government's jobseeker, JobKeeper, JobMaker and HomeBuilder programs are all steps in the right direction.

As a health issue, COVID-19 is set to permanently reshape our society. Australians have not experienced anything like this before and, unfortunately, we will all be left with the fear of something like this happening again. The Australian government's response has been world-class, and we are lucky to be seeing the easing of restrictions across all states in Australia. This is a wonderful thing and should be celebrated; however, it is worth remembering there was no silver bullet to solving this health crisis. The Prime Minister and his team led a multifaceted response, always in consultation with experts and state leaders. Every action taken by the government was timely and carefully measured. The Minister for Health has outlined the progressive way in which the borders were closed, ensuring that as many Australians as possible could come home.

Closing the borders was integral to limiting the spread of COVID-19 in Australia; however, other measures at home have been just as crucial. We have all come to learn the new phrase 'social distancing'. It might have sounded odd at first, but these measures had a huge impact on flattening the curve. Every decision made was not made lightly. We are winning, but the fight is not over. I urge all my constituents in Chisholm to continue their good work and to download the COVIDSafe app if they haven't done so already.

We are in the good position we are in thanks to the good work of Australians in following social-distancing restrictions and the sacrifices that they have made, and we all deserve a pat on the back. However, like many others, I am concerned about the protests over the weekend. While all of us in this House condemn racism, I am deeply aware that we cannot ease up just as we are beginning to stem the spread of the virus. I would urge all Australians not to be complacent. Let's avoid further outbreaks and beat the pandemic together.

With the curve now flattening, it might be convenient to think the war has been won. Sure, we have some successes to celebrate on the health front, but our economic battles have just begun. It's easy to focus on the fact that in Victoria we can now have gatherings of up to 20 people at home, and restaurants are now able to gradually reopen for dining for up to 20 people at a time. However, what isn't so easy to focus on is the debt now upon us. This debt may have helped millions of Australians. I am proud to have supported it, but it must be repaid. In the last sitting week of parliament I spoke in the House of the love I have for my children and how I missed seeing them on Mother's Day. As a parent, every decision I have ever made has been made with my children and Australia's next generation front of mind. My decision to support the economic stimulus, which has helped many Australians, was no different. I thought of how, as younger Australians, they might one day become responsible for that debt. It wasn't a decision I made lightly. As the Treasurer rightfully said, what we borrow today we must repay in the future.

This support helped many businesses and individuals in my electorate. Let me briefly inform the Chamber of Salon First in Burwood. This is a small business which has updated me that, thanks to JobKeeper, they will be able to come out of the COVID-19 crisis with all their staff still on board. This is exactly what JobKeeper was for. Salon First's owners, Beth and George, know that a coalition government is on their side.

While we have been focusing on tackling problems at home, we are now facing challenges from abroad as well. Like many others, I am concerned by calls from the Chinese government over the past week telling tourists and students not to come to Australia. We have a strong and proud multicultural community here in Australia, especially in my electorate of Chisholm. Over 50 per cent of people in the electorate were born overseas. Australia is one of the safest and most welcoming destinations for tourists and international students, and I'm proud of my country's strong record of welcoming people into our country. The idea that Australia is in any way an unsafe destination does not stand up to scrutiny. As the first Chinese Australian woman in the House of Representatives, I am very much aware of increased concern about race based attacks in migrant communities. While there may have been increased attacks against Australians of Asian background during COVID-19 simply because of how they looked, these have come from a rogue minority of people in Australia. They do not represent the majority of Australians, who in my 35 years in Australia I have found to be overwhelmingly generous, welcoming and kind.

Chinese Australians have been some of the first to respond to COVID-19, and they should be commended and celebrated for this act. Chinese Australian organisations like the Asian Business Association of Whitehorse, a group which I have spoken about many times, were some of the first organisations to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. They took the voluntary step of cancelling their lunar new year celebrations—a tough decision to make in January but, with the benefit of hindsight, the right call. This group, like many other Chinese-Australian organisations, called upon their members to give back to Australian communities, and they raised $50,000. This money was used by Box Hill Hospital to purchase much-needed medical equipment which I'm sure has helped save many lives. I have a quote from Mr Jason Smith, the director of the Eastern Health Foundation, which supports Box Hill Hospital. He said in relation to the ABAW:

The association has made a donation as an organisation and has also been encouraging its members to donate individually, with many cash injections coming from donors with Chinese surnames.

Finally, I want to echo the Minister for Health in thanking the Prime Minister. His leadership has been exceptional and the key to Australia getting an upper hand on COVID-19. To the Prime Minister and to my good friend the Minister for Health: thank you for what you have done for this country. The Minister for Health has rightfully said that the job is not yet done. Our work is not finished. The virus is not yet defeated. So let's all stay united and do it together.

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