Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

On Sunday there was an extensive package that we are legislating for today.

Senator Hanson-Young interjecting—

I'll take your interjection, because sole traders were helped in that package significantly. In fact, they were helped on both sides of the package. One part of the package was focused on those people who either have lost their jobs or have had a substantial reduction in their income. That's where we have given sole traders access to jobseeker payment without the mutual obligations that would normally require them to give up their businesses. The sole trader has immediately got access to welfare payments, including the coronavirus supplement, and at the same time can continue working in their sole trading or their small business. That will be considered as part of their mutual obligation, because we want those people to stay in their businesses. We want them to stay there, and we want those businesses to continue to be in place when we get to the other side of the coronavirus crisis.

On the other side, on making sure that businesses can continue to be in business and continue to employ people, Senator Cash put a raft of small business initiatives in place for small and medium sized businesses with a turnover of under $50 million. They included a range of things, including grants of up to $100,000 for businesses based on payroll, with a minimum amount of $20,000 available to a business. This is payable on their payroll and their pay-as-you-go returns for April, if we are talking about businesses that make their returns quarterly. In addition, a range of different regulatory relief is available to these small businesses. There are a number of broader initiatives that have been contained in the package. Senator Hanson-Young, it may be useful to suggest to your colleague Senator Whish-Wilson that there is a lot of information on the government website about the specific details of benefits that are being made available to small businesses, sole traders and employees to get them through this particular period.