Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] It's good to be speaking from Melbourne today, on a day when the hard work of our community has meant that we've have again recorded zero community transmission. This effort takes a toll, and it's an effort that Victorians have been continually shouldering without the support they should have received from this federal government. While the Prime Minister keeps telling us that there's nowhere you'd rather be than Australia, the reality is that, here in Victoria, we've been let down badly by the Morrison government.

Here are just some of the people who contacted me during our last lockdown: Molly, who lost half her income but, because she receives AUSTUDY, couldn't get the COVID disaster payment; Grace, a casual worker who lives week to week, was unsure how to she was going to pay her rent, buy food and heat her house; Martin, a sole trader ineligible for any payment but not able to work during lockdown; and Claire, who's done everything possible to keep her dog-grooming business afloat, is so close to having to give up.

Local travel agents and events businesses are now into their second year of little to no income and no plan for how their will industry survive. All of them have been ignored by the Morrison government, despite the fact that they are doing their part, their job, to keep our community safe. Until this government fixes its botched vaccines rollout, we know that we're at risk of more lockdowns. On this Donut Day here in Jagajaga, I say, 'We've done our job, Prime Minister, it's time for you to do yours.'