Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on how the Morrison government's economic recovery plan focuses on getting more Australians into jobs and keeping them in work as a part of our comeback from the COVID-19 recession?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Herbert for his question. I thank him, along with all members of the defence forces and those in this place who have served in our defence forces. I thank them for their service. Consumer confidence, it is revealed today, has risen to its highest level on the ANZ survey in 2020—higher than the pre-pandemic levels. Business confidence has risen to the highest level in 2½ years, according to the National Australia Bank survey, and business conditions have risen to the highest level, at an above-average level, since March 2019. Confidence is key to the recovery of our economy. Confidence is key to the comeback of Australia's economy from COVID-19—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin and the Treasurer!

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

The member for Rankin is warned!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That confidence is supported by the diligent, quick and effective action of this government—backing in the Australian people in their plans, in their actions, in their resilience, to ensure that they can get their businesses, their families and their communities through one of the most difficult times this country has seen. Of course, that was most manifest in the programs of JobKeeper and JobSeeker, which we know have been a lifeline to Australians to ensure they can come through the COVID-19 recession and the global pandemic.

My attention was drawn to an article in The Sydney Morning Herald today. It tells two stories. One is that of Melbourne fitness instructor Donna Sparx. She said:

JobKeeper gave me the security to pivot the business into an online world, it set me up to keep it going in a different way. I'm now in a much better position.

The second story is that of Sydney photographer Valent Lau. It states:

Lau, with two children and a mortgage, had no idea how he'd keep his family going when the work stopped coming in. JobKeeper was their lifeline, he says, calming fears the family would lose their house and allowing him time to work out how to get his business going again. He's now back to 60 per cent of his pre-COVID work levels …

Mr Lau said:

We know it can't go on forever, we're grateful for what it's done so far.

The Australian people know that, in their time of great need, when they needed to rely on the government, they could under this government. This government understood the need and it has responded to that need. We have cushioned the blow as much as could be done during the course of this great crisis. We have embarked on the comeback that is underway and that is recovering what was lost. As we go into 2021, we'll build for the future off the recovery plan that the Treasurer announced in October. We have Australians' back and they know it. (Time expired)