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

The answer to your question, Senator Smith, is absolutely no. The federal government has put an absolutely unprecedented support package in place for all Australians, including Australian women. In March we put in place the coronavirus supplement, which was available for all Australians. But, equally, we understand that Australian women have been impacted equally by job losses. In the July economic and fiscal update we made an announcement in relation to the continuation of that supplement.

But the most important thing that we can do as a government is to make sure that we work with businesses, because it will be businesses that create the jobs to enable Australian women who have found themselves without work during this pandemic to go back into work—to give them the opportunity. It will not be government that creates jobs. Governments don't create jobs. It will not be the government that spends us out of this recession; it will be business.