Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

When I'm home from Canberra in my great electorate of Mallee, I love to support our local cafes. This weekend in Mildura, I had breakfast at the fabulous Brass Monkey—a great example of a small family business, owned by Kristy and Adam, hit hard during COVID lockdowns and supported by the federal government through JobKeeper. I spoke with Kristy, who owns the business with her husband, Adam. She told me about the challenges the business has faced throughout the pandemic. She said that JobKeeper was fantastic and that it had helped them keep afloat over a very difficult year. Kristy and Adam have since pivoted their business to cafe style at a new location. Kristy told me this has meant a welcome change in lifestyle. They are happy to move away from the late-night hours to a more manageable breakfast and lunch schedule. Kristy's thrilled because it means more time together with her husband and an improved work-life balance. The pandemic has called on business owners to be flexible and adapt to the new environment we find ourselves in, and JobKeeper payments provided this young enterprising couple with the confidence they needed to take a chance on their business. I wish Kristy and Adam all the best with their new endeavour, which I'm sure will be a hotspot for months and years to come.

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