Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

Australia and the world have faced a year like no other. I thank Senator Paterson for his question, because indeed we are indebted and grateful to all Australians for all that they have done this year as the nation has stood together in response to the biggest economic shock since the Great Depression in the face of a once-in-a-century global pandemic. Australians have demonstrated their resilience and they should be congratulated and thanked for the efforts that they have made, the sort of resolve and spirit our country has been built upon.

Indeed, all levels of Australia have been challenged, including governments, and we have worked to stand alongside Australians in terms of the actions we've taken to save lives and livelihoods across our country. We quickly closed our international borders when the threats were evident that the transmission of COVID would most likely spread through the international transactions of individuals. We put health measures in place to suppress the spread of the virus. Our first aim was, and still is, to keep Australians safe.

We then, of course, in recognising the impacts of those measures to keep Australians safe, worked hard to cushion the inevitable economic blow that would follow. We put in place, most notably, the JobKeeper program, the single largest support measure ever introduced by an Australian government. We created JobKeeper and we have extended it and transitioned it in ways to keep Australians safe and secure in their livelihoods. The Reserve Bank has indicated and assessed that JobKeeper helped to save 700,000 Australian jobs. Our measures have, throughout the course of this year, provided the best opportunity for Australians to have their lives and livelihoods protected and they have put us in the strongest possible position for the future.