House debates

Wednesday, 2 September 2020

Questions without Notice

Economy

2:45 pm

Photo of Josh FrydenbergJosh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin would like to pretend there hasn't been a once-in-a-century pandemic. The member for Rankin would ignore the fact that Victoria is in stage 4 restrictions. The member for Rankin would ignore the fact that we have undertaken the biggest single economic support program in Australia's history. The member for Rankin would ignore the fact that our contribution of $314 billion is around 15.8 per cent of GDP and the state contribution has been around $48 billion, or 2.4 per cent of GDP.

I'd say to the member for Rankin, pick up the phone to the Premier of Queensland and suggest that they spend more on infrastructure, more on social housing, more on payroll tax relief and more on land tax relief, and come with the Commonwealth. As the member knows, there are plenty of water projects that we are looking for additional Queensland investment and infrastructure for. There are plenty of road projects that we are looking forward to increased expenditure in Queensland.

We are doing everything in our power to get more Australians back to work. Of the 1.3 million Australians who lost their job or saw their hours reduced to zero since the start of the crisis, around 700,000 are now back in work, showing that our JobMaker program is working.

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