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

I thank the member for his question. The pandemic, as he and I both know, severely impacted the number of people travelling across Bass Strait to Tasmania. At one point 85 per cent of passenger travel on the Spirit of Tasmania was cancelled. As a result of that, the Deputy Prime Minister, in working with the Tasmanian coalition MPs and senators—in particular, the members for Braddon and Bass; I commend them for the great work they've done here—as well as the Tasmanian Premier and his government, and the Tasmanian tourism sector, announced further support through the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme. We did that on 7 January this year to encourage more Australians to travel to Tasmania. This support consisted of $6 million to increase the rebate and make it free to take a car or a motorbike across the Bass Strait—a saving of $240 for return passengers. The rebate was to apply to a new booking for travel from 1 March until 30 June, or until funding was exhausted. I'm advised that, when travellers book their ticket, the rebate automatically applies to the purchase price of the ticket. I will ask the Deputy Prime Minister to add further to the answer.

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