Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Since this pandemic first came upon us, the government have made it quite clear that we had to tackle it on two fronts: on the health front and on the economic front. On the health front and because of the unified actions of all Australians, we have slowed the spread of the virus through quarantining, through social distancing and through social isolation through our border closures. It's been hard. I think the words 'challenging' and 'unprecedented' have never been used as much as in recent times. It has been hard, but Australians have sucked it up because it's been in the best interests of the country. It has also hit us on the economic front, and the government have always been very clear both that it was going to hit and now that it is hitting us. As a result of the measures we had to take, our economy has been severely impacted. Economic activity has slowed and businesses and households are facing uncertainty.

Like businesses everywhere across the country, many of the small and medium-sized businesses in my local community have been financially devastated by the measures put in place to protect our health and protect our safety in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through my contact with local businesses over the last couple of months, I have heard about the extent of their financial losses; their fear and concern for their livelihoods, their families and their future; and their fear and concern for those they employ and for those they trade with. Amidst the fear and the worry, I've also heard stories of the positive impact the various government support initiatives have had on many of these businesses. To many, JobKeeper, the measures boosting cash flow for employers and the expansion of the instant asset write-off have not just helped keep businesses in business and people in jobs; they have eased, to a certain degree, their anxiety and their fear.

Of the 26,000 small and medium-sized businesses in Curtin, approximately 6,000 have accessed JobKeeper. Jane from Barchetta cafe in Cottesloe had to close her cafe on the beachfront in Cottesloe in an absolutely beautiful location. When the pandemic set in, she had to close the cafe. She employs 14 people, who she describes as family members. Jane was able to access JobKeeper. She was able to keep all of those 14 employees in employment, and, when restrictions were eased in Western Australia recently, she was able to reopen Barchetta with all of those 14 staff members. She also used the instant asset write-off scheme to do a bit of a renovation during the closure. She had hoped that we would come back, and so she bought some new equipment and did up the kitchen. She said it was great to be back at the cafe on the first day of their opening, and the local community loved it.

Another example is Filament Coffee in Osborne Park. This is a new start-up that was hit by the pandemic within the first nine months of their operations. Filament Coffee is actually a cold brew coffee, and it's supplied on tap and in cans around Western Australia. I'd never tasted it before I went out to visit Filament Coffee. All I can say is that it's got a bit of a caffeine kick to it! Aaron at Filament Coffee was able to access JobKeeper. Once again, this meant that his business could retain the very small number of employees that they had and continue to go forward as a start-up. For people who were starting up businesses in the last 12 to 18 months, it is that start-up phase that is the greatest pressure point of any business. Aaron accessed JobKeeper. He also accessed the instant asset write-off to purchase two new tanks of some description to store and help process the cold brew. Many of the sole traders in Curtin—sole traders who feared at the outset that they'd be left behind but were included within JobKeeper, because of feedback and because the Treasurer and our government recognised the importance of sole traders—were able to access JobKeeper. Ginger B is a gift store in Wembley run by Bianca, and she said that JobKeeper helped her keep her doors open. The Painted Teapot in Subiaco is run by a lovely woman called Tory, and she told me directly: 'Without JobKeeper we would have lost the business entirely. The support gave us some hope, and that glimmer of hope is now turning into confidence for the future.' That is where this government is now focused: looking at the future, building that confidence, building on that hope and making Australia bounce back even harder and stronger.

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