Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

notes that:

on 28 March 2021 the Government intends to cease the JobKeeper scheme, despite widespread calls from economists and businesses alike to extend the scheme as the economy continues to suffer;

travel agents have been pleading for more targeted support given the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on their businesses, and the brutal reality that there is no snap-back for their industry;

the Australian Federation of Travel Agents, the peak body representing the nation's travel industry, has highlighted multiple flaws in the Government's $128 million support package for embattled travel agents, which has provoked confusion and uncertainty; and

travel agents say they'll be forced to close because the Government's support package is so poorly designed it won't help them;

acknowledges that Jobkeeper has been a lifeline for travel agents, and has allowed them to keep their doors open to continue to assist their clients with refund recoveries and those seeking to return home; and

urges the government to:

     (a) listen to the travel sector and respond to their calls for more targeted support to help them survive the detrimental impacts of COVID-19; and

     (b) extend ongoing support to those sectors of the Australian economy who are most impacted by COVID-19 and who will be amongst the last to recover.

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