Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

As I said, this program was initially created to assist small businesses who were suffering financial impacts of drought or natural disasters. And as I said, the review that was commissioned by the government, of which you were a part, found that in actual fact most people were using it for the business impacts of COVID-19, which is not what the service was provided for.

I had the option of pursuing what your government had put in place, which was to cut funding out on 31 December. But my view was that it was important that those services and their clients had certainty to carry them through the disaster season, which is why we have made extra funding available to carry them through that season. That's not what your government did. Your government, in all of its budgets, didn't extend the funding beyond 31 December. We are continuing that service.

You mentioned farmers, Senator Davey. There is actually a separate funding program available for rural counselling for farmers and that remains in place. There is no risk to that funding at all. You shouldn't be mixing up those programs— (Time expired)