Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a government that has lost its way. Every day there's another scandal, a rort or the axing of a service, on top of a trillion dollars worth of debt, a dud NBN service, dodgy land deals and 40,000 Australians stranded overseas. It's a government that seems to be protecting its own interests and not the interests of the nation. It's a government which is overseeing real wage levels go down while childcare costs have risen. It's a government that has paid JobKeeper so they could fund million-dollar bonuses for their millionaire CEOs in companies and their billionaire shareholders, in terms of dividends and profits, while, at the same time, refusing to back 600 meatworkers in my electorate, who have lost their jobs, with JobKeeper.

In just four days, the government will axe JobKeeper, leaving working Australians and small businesses anxious and uncertain about their future. Over a thousand businesses across Ipswich, the Somerset region and the Karana Downs area will lose that vital support. It will be ripped away from them. That is support that has kept workers employed and connected to their places of employment. I'm referring to targeted financial support to keep workers out of unemployment queues while businesses find time to adapt to the changes and challenges of COVID-19. There are just over two million Australians unemployed or underemployed—far too many of both in my electorate. They might even have a job, if they're underemployed, but their hours are insecure, inadequate and unpredictable. I hold mobile offices regularly and make a point of calling residents as well. Local people are telling me they are losing full-time and permanent jobs and are being forced into casual or temporary employment.

Recently I had a well-qualified registered nurse come to my office. She had gone to Far North Queensland to follow a job through a labour hire agency because hospitals, aged-care centres and the like were moving away from full-time, permanent staff. She relocated, only to find that the job didn't last beyond three months. A highly qualified experienced nurse cannot find permanent employment. It's hard being a middle-aged woman either getting back into the workforce or seeking more secure work. That's their personal life experience. It's hard being a labourer aged over 55 who can no longer do the level of physical work he once did. These are people languishing on JobSeeker or picking up casual or temporary work. This week, 21-year-old Nick came to my office. He was injured and unable to work his two casual jobs until at least May. He recently moved back in with his unemployed father to help him pay the rent. Since his surgery, this young man can only get youth allowance of about $300 a fortnight, as he lives with his dad. He's got no sick leave entitlements nor savings. These are people in the Blair electorate who are not captured in the job figures. When JobKeeper ends, how many more will join them in the search for too few jobs?

The government's ideas of supporting workers was to allow them to raid their superannuation, a staggering 4,350 workers in my electorate wiped out their entire retirement savings because of the government's early release of superannuation. Almost 30,000 people living in Blair raided their super funds to the tune of $218.5 million. The government needs to commit to the legislated superannuation guarantee increases from July this year until it reaches 12 per cent in 2025—not optional superannuation increases but real increases. It's appalling that those opposite and so many of them on their back bench rail against this measure while earning 15.4 per cent superannuation themselves. There's a massive disconnect between this government and what's happening outside of these walls.

While JobKeeper will end in a few days, many businesses and sectors didn't even get to start. Meatworkers in my electorate are competing with those in the industry using labour hire firms—still collecting JobKeeper. JBS was punished for hiring their own staff. Let's not forget those who work for local authorities, local councils, child care, the university sector, temporary migrants and even casuals with less than one year of employment with one employer. Let's not forget tourism. I understand the government is supporting the aviation industry to get Australians travelling to what look like marginal, winnable seats for the coalition across Queensland and Western Australia, with tourism destinations many thousands of kilometres away that residents cannot travel to. And what about travel agents—how is this helping them? Accommodation in our capital cities or in safe Labor seats, events and conference organisers. It doesn't help the entertainment industry or the arts sector. This government has failed so many people. Axing support too early will hurt families, local jobs and businesses. It's time this government stopped looking after itself, stopped looking after the few, and started governing for the many.