Jim Chalmers Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
2:12 pm
Josh Frydenberg Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer
2:13 pm
As you know, Mr Speaker, JobKeeper is at $101 billion and is the single largest economic support program that this government, or indeed any Australian government, has ever undertaken. Right now it is supporting 3½ million Australians and around one million businesses. Around the country, in every corner of this great country, there is a great story about JobKeeper and how it's keeping people in work.
We've always said, though, that the program was temporary and targeted and that there would be transition. Not just those on this side of the House have said that it should be tapered and it should come down. One person has said, 'what they should be looking at is a kind of tapering'. Somebody said this about JobKeeper:
There needs to be some transition over time away from these extraordinary levels of support in the economy.
The same person went on to say, '… which recognises that JobKeeper won't be there forever.' The same person said that the government should be considering better ways to transition the JobKeeper program. That wasn't the member for Flinders, that wasn't the member for Wannon and that wasn't the member for—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Members:
Honourable members interjecting—
Tony Smith Speaker
I will ask the Treasurer to pause for a second and I'll ask members on my left to cease interjecting. I'm going to say to the Treasurer that, obviously, the Hansard doesn't pick up his pauses—
Tony Smith Speaker
No, hang on! I haven't ruled, okay? Unless you can read my mind! The question was quite specific, so whilst you can compare and contrast to an extent you can't use the rest of the answer to speak about what the opposition's policies are.
Josh Frydenberg Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer
I hadn't revealed who it was yet, Mr Speaker.
Tony Smith Speaker
The Treasurer can resume his seat! I'm just going to say to the Treasurer that it doesn't matter; the rules are quite clear. I'm trying to maintain order in the House and that can't just be when it suits those on my right. The Treasurer has the call.
Josh Frydenberg Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Those comments were made by those opposite, but the point is that we are seeing this payment transition—
Mr Bowen interjecting—
Josh Frydenberg Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer
We are seeing this payment transition over time, but right now it's supporting 3½ million workers. It's transitioning and it's tapering, just as the member for Rankin asked for it to do.