Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline to the House how the incredible efforts of Australian businesses, and particularly small businesses, are ensuring our economy remains resilient during this global pandemic, and how have these efforts been helped by the Morrison government's JobKeeper plans?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Curtin for her question and acknowledge her experience as a professor of law and as a vice-chancellor of Notre Dame university before coming to this place.

COVID-19 has hit the global economy like an earthquake. The World Bank is suggesting that more economies will contract this calendar year than at any time since 1870. And Australia has not been immune. Initially, since the start of this crisis, 1.3 million Australians either lost their job or saw their hours reduced to zero. These are cafe workers, hotel staff, people who work in retail, tourism operators and tradies of all kinds. These people are often working for small business. There are more than three million small businesses across the economy that are the backbone of our economy. We thank the small businesses of Australia for working to support their staff, who they often treat like extended family. It's the determination of small business owners, working day and night, which will be key to this recovery.

Glen owns Deli Chicchi in Mount Claremont, in the member for Curtin's electorate. He has said: 'The government's measures have helped us when our businesses had to close to sit-down diners because of the restrictions. In fact, one of the biggest things that helped us was the cash flow boost. When those payments came through, it prevented us from having to remortgage or to close our doors. Along with the JobKeeper payments, it kept my staff in jobs, allowed business to keep going and helped me to pay my small, independent suppliers. With restrictions easing, we are now getting back to work, where we were pre COVID.' That's the message of hope. You get the virus under control, restrictions start to ease and customers and jobs come back.

Nowhere is this message more important than in my home state of Victoria. The message of hope is needed. That's why Victorians were so aghast when the Victorian government said that there was a prospect of the state of emergency continuing for another 12 months. Victorians need to hear more about the road out than a longer road in. That is why the Morrison government stands with Victorians and indeed 25 million Australians to support Australians get to the other side of COVID-19.