Gavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was good news from the great state of Tasmania this week, with Premier Peter Gutwein announcing that we have no active coronavirus cases. This is the milestone that we've all been working towards, and it could not have been reached without the sacrifice and the discipline of all Tasmanians. Thank you to everybody across the north-west, the west coast and King Island for playing your part.

Since the pandemic outbreak I've had contact with hundreds of businesses who have told me their stories. Every business has been affected, every individual circumstance has been different, but the unifying theme has always been gratitude. Businesses have told me that, without the swift and targeted support of the federal government through the cashflow boost, the extension and then the expansion of the instant asset write-off, the doubling of the safety net and jobseeker coronavirus supplement, and, of course, the JobKeeper program, their businesses would be in a much worse financial position as they emerge from the crisis. Some have told me that without the government's support they would have closed their doors for good.

What JobKeeper has meant to businesses across the region can be summed up by Michael Gates, who owns Print Domain in Burnie. Michael's staff is highly specialised and cannot be easily replaced. In his words, JobKeeper meant that he could retain his highly trained staff throughout the shutdown phase. He said that, thanks to JobKeeper, he had not been burdened with having to recruit or train new staff. He's hit the ground running and he's getting back to full production sooner. It's good for Michael and his staff and it's exactly what our local community needs.

A few weeks ago I also met with Justin Delanty from Lending4U in Devonport. I was after their feedback about government programs, like the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and the instant asset write-off, and how they were being received in the electorate. Justin, Steven, Madison and I spoke about the many positives of the scheme, and they also raised a few challenges and issues they had with delays in processing claims under the instant asset write-off. I immediately had a meeting with the Treasurer and outlined to him what Justin had told me. The government is listening. Within a week the six-month extension of the $150,000 instant asset write-off had been announced.

I have confidence in the people of the north-west, the west coast and King Island, and I know that because the government is listening and is responsive we will emerge from this pandemic a stronger, more resilient community that understands our enormous potential to achieve great things together.