Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Next month Scott Morrison will put an end to JobKeeper, ripping support away from thousands of businesses across my electorate who desperately need it. The travel agency sector is undoubtedly amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic, yet they've fallen through the cracks. Before the pandemic struck, the travel industry employed 40,000 Australians, and 30,000 of these were women.

Recently I met with travel agents from Corangamite. These women are nothing short of remarkable. Since the closure of our borders they have had virtually no income. They've worked around the clock to ensure that customers receive refunds and advice. They've faced the toughest year of their life and, thanks to this government, there is no end in sight. Leigh from Torquay told me her young daughter caught her crying recently. It wasn't the first time she'd cried that day; it was the third. Her daughter asked if it was because she couldn't put planes back in the sky. Carly told me most days she is working for nothing. Amber described feeling lost. She worries about the ongoing uncertainty and what it will do to her and other agents' mental health. It's a worry I also share.

It is reprehensible that the Morrison government has not stepped up and delivered a comprehensive plan to save an industry that is on its knees. All the women I spoke to have followed government advice. They've picked up part-time work. They've waited patiently for the government's much-anticipated support program. They're still waiting. So, Scott Morrison, help these women, help save the industry, and extend JobKeeper for the travel agency sector.

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