Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet) Share this | Hansard source

We do know that the Leader of the Opposition really does enjoy this chamber. In fact, if I ever want advice on parliamentary practice, he will be the first person, perhaps the second person, that I will go and speak to. But I will take no advice from the Leader of the Opposition in relation to what's in the best interests of the Australian people, because he has no idea. The Leader of the Opposition's bark is worse than his bite. He loves this chamber. He roars like a lion in this chamber, but the reality is he's more like a little kitty cat.

The government is focused on the interests of Australia and Australians, focused on protecting lives from the global coronavirus pandemic, focused on protecting livelihoods. Nowhere more has this been seen than our focus on helping Australians keep their jobs. The government's cornerstone JobKeeper and JobSeeker programs have sustained Australia's workforce and those Australians who have lost their jobs. We have seen the economy fighting back from the economic effects of COVID-19, with 446,000 jobs coming back over the last four months. That's in the interests of Australians. Of the 1.3 million people who lost their job or were stood down, around 60 per cent of them are back at work. We're going to get Australia out of recession. We're going to support the creation of jobs in the private sector, because they employ eight out of 10 Australians. Our economic relief plan will create jobs, build our economy and secure Australia's future.

There's a monumental task ahead, but Australia's up to the task. This week we embark as a nation on our next stage of the journey. Our plan will grow the economy, create jobs and guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on. It will support nearly half a million young Australians through the JobMaker hiring credit. The $4 billion scheme will support around 450,000 positions by giving employers incentives from 7 October to create new jobs. They will get support for every new job they create in the next 12 months that employs someone who's been on JobSeeker, youth allowance or the parenting payment. We will invest a record amount in skills and training. We will support our manufacturing industry. We'll incentivise businesses to invest in their business, creating more economic activity and jobs.

We are providing tax relief for more than 11 million hardworking Australians, putting more money in their pocket to spend in small businesses across the country and help create jobs. Since the onset of COVID-19, the government has provided $257 billion in direct economic support to cushion the blow and strengthen the recovery. The 2020-21 budget commits a further $98 billion, including $25 billion in direct COVID-19 response measures and $74 billion in new measures to create jobs. The government's economic support since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and will continue to support households and businesses through the recovery.

If our budget isn't focused on the interests of Australia and Australians then why did the opposition support it? The opposition voted for our fast-track tax cuts, while our JobMaker package went through here on the voices. If the government isn't focused on the interests of Australia, the federal budget being the principal instrument of government policy, why did the opposition support the budget? When we talk about being focused on the interests of Australians, we have been focused absolutely on what is important to them: their health and their jobs. But those opposite, when meetings of the National Security Committee were occurring to deal with the economic and health impacts of coronavirus, were in here playing their parlour games, calling a range of divisions to distract the Prime Minister, the health minister and the Attorney-General from their work.

Mr Conroy interjecting—

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