Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Treasurer. How many Australians are now earning more than their normal wage because they're receiving the JobKeeper subsidy of $1,500 per fortnight?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will have to take that question on notice because I don't have that number available. What I can tell the honourable member is that we decided on a flat $1,500 payment because—and it was a very Australian way to do it—we didn't want to see a situation where, if you earned more, you would get a greater payment. That is unlike the United Kingdom scheme. I was advised by the Treasury of the limitations of that scheme. At $130 billion, this is a very significant support for the economy at a very difficult time.