Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

If there's one thing I hear from small businesses when I'm out and about in Higgins, it's that they're looking forward to a strong Christmas trading season. Businesses in my electorate have had to close their doors for nine of the last 19 months due to COVID lockdowns. It's an unprecedented impact on their ability to do business and prosper. That's why I'm enormously proud of the unprecedented economic support this government has provided. My constituents know this government has their back when they need it most.

In my electorate of Higgins, JobKeeper has supported 10,600 businesses to keep their staff afloat. The instant asset write-off helped 27,000 businesses to have access to cash flow when they most needed it. Just as importantly, our government has helped taxpayers to keep more of what they earn. Around 65,700 constituents have already benefited from tax relief of up to $2,745 this year alone. That's more money in the back pockets of the people of Higgins—money that I hope my constituents will spend in local businesses in the lead-up to Christmas. Working together, we can all help secure Australia's economic future post COVID. This Christmas we should all go local first. It's about our future together.

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