Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question and in particular acknowledge her passion for regional and rural Australia. Regional and rural Australia has no greater friends than those in the Liberal-National government. Our government has stood by rural and regional Australia through its most difficult times. That is because we know that a sustainable, economic recovery from COVID-19 depends on so many of those in rural and regional Australia, which is already home to one in three Australians.

Those on this side of the chamber, the government's side, are committed to ensuring that we put in place the right policy framework to ensure that our regions are able to thrive. Why? Because, as we know, when you support our regions, when you support our rural communities, you are supporting so much more than that. You are supporting the small-business people that live there, that work there and that support the local football club. But, more than that, you create jobs for other rural and regional Australians.

We, as a government, have put in place so many policies to ensure major job creation in the regions. These include our City Deals, our Regional Deals, the Regional Growth Fund and, of course, the Building Better Regions Fund. But we also have put in place a number of employment programs, in particular to create opportunities for young Australians to go to rural and regional Australia, but also to help our farmers access workers and support training opportunities. Harvest Trail Services connects workers with growers in all harvest areas across Australia. We also have a Local Jobs Program and Regional Employment Trials. They place employment facilitators on the ground in 25 regions across Australia. They connect people in regional and rural Australia.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Cash. Senator McKenzie, a supplementary question?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How is the Liberal-National government supporting our rural and regional communities, including small businesses, which have seen the triple shock of drought, fires and COVID-19 in 2020?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Without a doubt, rural and regional Australia have done it tough this year. But we are supporting them with policies that will get people into work, that will support businesses to prosper and grow and that will support businesses to bring on that new apprentice or trainee. In fact, over 20,000 regional and rural small businesses are benefiting from our supporting apprentices and trainees wage subsidy. Senator McKenzie, $227 million in funding is now keeping around 34,000 apprentices and trainees in work on the job in our regions. We've also obviously got our JobKeeper policy and the cash flow boost. We're also providing $4.7 million for regional small businesses to access free financial counselling, because, obviously, that is just so important for them to navigate through COVID-19. We also have announced over $960 million of initiatives through the relief and recovery fund. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, a final supplementary question?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why is it important for the government to maintain a central focus on the needs of rural and regional Australia?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a government, we know that when rural and regional Australians prosper and grow they create more jobs for Australians and they benefit our nation as a whole. In this chamber, particularly on the government side, we recognise the contribution that people from rural and regional Australia make through industries such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism, forestry and transport. With all of those industries, they don't just impact on rural and regional Australia; they impact on the whole of Australia. Also, when you look at our food, rural and regional Australians produce our nation's valuable exports. They grow our food and they supply our energy. We will continue to back rural and regional Australians every step of the way because, as you know, when they prosper and grow they create more jobs for Australians.