Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline to the House how the Morrison government's JobMaker plan is guaranteeing the essential services Australians rely on?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Reid for her question and her continuing leadership in her own community as she supports Australians, particularly young Australians so impacted by this crisis. Her experience in dealing particularly with young children as well in her professional work before coming to this place is very important in informing the government's policies, particularly around issues like child protection and supporting the mental health challenges that young Australians face.

It's not just the jobs of Australians that are dependent on us recovering ground in our economy.

Mr Frydenberg interjecting—

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the Prime Minister pause for a second? The member for Rankin and the Treasurer have this continual conversation that's very loud that's preventing the rest of us hearing the answer. If they could just cease interjecting. The Prime Minister has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not just the jobs of Australians that depend on the resurgence of our economy on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis; it is indeed the services that Australians rely on that are so dependent on the restoration of the Australian economy, which is why the JobMaker plan is so important. We restore the revenues that those essential services rely on not by higher taxes. We secure that higher revenue by ensuring we get people back into work, that we get investment back into our economy and that we see our economy grow again. That is why our JobMaker plan is about keeping the tax cuts that we have legislated in this place, and we remain absolutely committed to keeping those tax cuts to give Australians that continued incentive in the economy.

This includes the changes that we need to make to skills, working with the states and territories; the changes we need to make in workplace and industrial relations; the changes we need to make to ensure that we deregulate our economy so businesses can invest and employ people and find their way back; the changes we need to make in infrastructure and increasing our investment. As we said yesterday, almost $10 million has been brought forward in new investment just in the last eight months alone.

Of course, there is much more to come in this area as we continue to roll out the JobMaker plan, which ensures we can get the growth that will provide the revenues to support the essential services we're committed to, such as the $31 billion in extra spending on hospitals in the five-year agreement signed by all states and territories, which was secured by the Minister for Health. There is the delivery of pharmacy services secured by the pharmacy agreement, delivered by the Minister for Health. There is the continued support of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, with some 2,300 new and amended listings already introduced by this government. The record needs based funding for our schools, which the Minister for Education is delivering, is up from $13.8 billion when we came to government, and is now at $21.8 billion and heading to $32.5 billion under the changes we've made—and what we've achieved by putting that funding in place. There is also the $243 million—

Ms Swanson interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Paterson is warned.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

that we've committed to supporting the safety of Indigenous children in this country. (Time expired)