Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

And of course there are many other measures—the Treasurer mentions the instant asset write-off—including JobKeeper. In the design of JobKeeper, we ensured that it has covered a wide spectrum of the Australian public—full-time employees, part-time employees and those who are casual equivalent in terms of having been long-term casuals working for employers.

But we said we were not going to cover the bills of state governments and their responsibilities, we were not going to cover the bills of local governments and we were not going to cover the bills of foreign governments—and that is the principle on which we established the JobKeeper program. And those workers who find themselves in need of support can access the jobseeker program. What I will not do is join with the opposition in seeking to demonise jobseeker as a program to support workers who lose their jobs.

The Leader of the Opposition has consistently come into this place and sought to pass off jobseeker as some sort of second prize for Australians who are needing economic assistance. So we have ensured that we have brought together JobKeeper and jobseeker. Some 75 per cent and more—as the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts will advise you—of those in the media and entertainment industry are being supported by JobKeeper. But, where there are those employers who can't make themselves eligible for that program, some 1.6 million Australians or thereabouts have been able to access jobseeker payments.

The extensive work done by Services Australia to process some two years worth of applications and claims for support has been done in a period of about eight weeks, which is an extraordinary response from Services Australia and the hardworking staff right across the Public Service to achieve that result. We will continue to provide those supports, but I will say this also: we're now on the road back. It's not about going further down in terms of the supports that are necessary; it's now about being on the road back. Jobseeker is in place until the end of September, and our government will continue to provide the support that is necessary across the full suite of measures we have provided. (Time expired)

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