House debates

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Questions without Notice

COVID-19: JobKeeper

2:31 pm

Photo of Tanya PlibersekTanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education and Training) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer explain why a university student working a $100 shift per week receives the full $1,500 JobKeeper wage subsidy, but their full-time university tutor, with three kids to support, is not eligible?

Photo of Josh FrydenbergJosh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

With respect to universities, we set out very clearly that they would be subject to the threshold tests of 30 per cent and 50 per cent, depending on their turnover. But we also made the decision, as a government, to provide Commonwealth grants to the universities to ensure that they are receiving money equivalent to what their enrolments would have been pre-COVID. That's some $18 billion we will see in government support for the sector over this year—that's very substantial indeed.