Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

In relation to Australian citizens overseas—in particular, Australian citizens receiving or in need of a government payment who are overseas and unable to return to Australia—within the portability limits of their payment, because they are unwell with coronavirus or affected by coronavirus travel restrictions or country lockdowns they have generally had their portability automatically extended. Anyone who has stopped receiving a payment should let Services Australia know immediately to have their payment reinstated.

In relation to temporary visa holders who are here in Australia, we don't accept that there is no capacity for temporary visa holders to return home if they are unable to support themselves in Australia. It's a long-established principle. Reading through one of the second reading amendments—I think from the Labor Party—even in that motion it was recognised that it's a longstanding principle that temporary visa holders are expected to be able to support themselves while in Australia. We have made a decision to facilitate access to superannuation for those temporary visa holders who have work rights, but what we do say is that we strongly encourage those temporary visa holders who are unable to support themselves over the next six months, either through work, through savings or by accessing their superannuation, to return home, and this is the time to go. It is a situation that we will continue to review periodically, and further changes may be made if required, but at this point in time our very strong advice to any temporary visa holder who cannot support themselves is to return home.