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

In addition to the ongoing measures that were announced this morning and the measures that Senator Cash also announced this morning, we are also seeking for this parliament, over the coming weeks, to agree to the temporary extension of the ordinary waiting period, which is a one-week period that people normally have to serve before coming on to payment, to make sure that we continue to give direct and immediate access to anybody who's coming on to payments, because we know that localised outbreaks are still, potentially, a risk to this country.

We know also that there are likely to be people who are going to have to isolate because they have contracted coronavirus or are caring for somebody and are required to isolate. So we will also be seeking, in this place, to extend the provision to enable people under those provisions to continue to be able to get access to payment, as long as they meet the existing eligibility criteria. But, we know, 93 per cent of people have got their jobs back, so we look forward— (Time expired)