Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is supporting Australians through the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering essential government services?

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. We know that in the current circumstances of the pandemic it is very difficult for many Australians. I acknowledge the member for the hard work she is doing in her electorate right now, especially with the Nepean Hospital outbreak.

Our government, through our service delivery agencies, will continue to support Australians as we make our way through the pandemic. As the House would be aware, the Morrison government introduced the COVID disaster payment, which the Prime Minister was just referring to, and it has been activated across numerous local government areas across Australia. It is a payment of $450 if you've lost between eight and 20 hours of work a week or $750 if you've lost more than 20 hours a week. And of course we're backing in aspirational Australians, those Australians who are on a welfare payment but are still getting part-time work. If they've lost over eight hours a week, there's an extra $200 for them as well.

Services Australia, as the House would know, was established by the Prime Minister as one of his first priorities when forming government, to ensure a dedicated agency for service delivery, and that agency has been stumping up. Services Australia has been ensuring that over 320 of its service centres right across the country have been open right through the pandemic, right from the very start, last year, seeing over 30,000 Australians every single day, whilst other workplaces have been closed. Services Australia have mobilised enormous numbers of staff—600 new staff, 250 more APS staff, 4,000 internal staff moving from other roles, joining 13,000 other staff. They've taken over 400,000 calls seeking financial support since 8 June. As at today, a staggering 1,192,000 Australians have received the COVID disaster payment the Prime Minister put in place—743,000 in New South Wales, 243,000 in Victoria, 78,000 in South Australia and 127,000 in Queensland, including over 30,000 in my home town of the Gold Coast. Many Australians are now receiving that recurrent payment. As the Prime Minister said, they don't need to do anything; the payment will keep rolling over. Indeed, 1.8 million of those payments have gone out, a staggering $2.1 billion in direct support to Australians who are in need.

They are extraordinary numbers, but, as everyone in the House knows, behind every number is a person. It's a family. It's a story. The Morrison government will continue to stump up and stand beside Australians by providing these supports. For Australians in need, simply go to myGov, and you'll be able to claim online. As the Prime Minister has said, in so many instances you will be paid within minutes, and that payment will be recurring, as the government stands beside you in some very difficult times.