Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

JobKeeper ends this Sunday. It's six days until Australian businesses and workers are left behind by this government. Some industries and businesses have recovered, and that is a good thing, but there are many who have not—like the travel agents, independent cinemas and industries reliant on international tourism—as a direct result of the policies of the federal government. Botched announcements to drive a bit of interstate travel in the off-peak season aren't going to make up for the loss of international visitors. Getting people to book flights on the Qantas and Virgin websites isn't going to save travel agents. These are Australian working families. They are jobs. They are livelihoods. They are at risk of falling off a cliff without support.

This government has supported businesses—with reduced amounts, I will say, up until this Sunday. But this pandemic is still going, so why do three-quarters of the job? Why support businesses some of the way and then let them wither just as we get to the final furlong of this pandemic? We need to be supporting businesses. We need to be supporting working families. We can't push them off the cliff. If JobKeeper can be used for executive bonuses and dividends then surely it can be used to support small businesses in my electorate of Macnamara.

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