Gerard Rennick (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I just want to say that these accusations by the Labor Party, saying that we've turned our backs on the workers, happen to be quite tawdry. We have actually doubled, might I add, the jobseeker allowance. I should also add that there are a number of other allowances on top of that which will reduce the difference between the jobseeker and JobKeeper payments to a very small amount. I accept that it's not perfect; we had a very limited time frame in which to bring a financial package to deal with one of the biggest economic, social and health crises this country has faced in a century. And what do we get from the Labor Party? Picking at small issues, at rats and mice.

Greg Hunt, in particular, has put in a fantastic effort on health. We have flattened the curve in the face of hysteria from many media outlets saying we weren't ready, we weren't going to have enough ICU beds et cetera. Well, we had more than enough ICU beds. We got the message out there. We got the quarantine measures in at the borders. We're now in front of many other countries, and we have set an example for many other countries. Hopefully, going forward, we'll be able to reopen sooner and many of these people in casual work will be able to get their jobs, lives and livelihoods back.

I would like to commend the coalition government, particularly Scott Morrison for doing a wonderful job in managing the national cabinet with all the state premiers—let's face it; that is like herding cats in this day and age, but he has managed to do it. He hasn't played politics, yet we're back here on day two of the parliamentary sitting and those opposite are already playing politics. Guys, we're not through this yet. I take the issue with Dnata on board, but it's just one of those things. We also have to balance out the long-term budget with foreign interests and things like that. To Senator Sheldon: I'm happy to work with you later on, on some of these issues, to make sure all hardworking Australians are looked after. I would ask, please, that we still maintain the spirit of cooperation until we're through this. We have to get through the winter months yet.

There are a couple of other things worth pointing out. I think we've got 5½ million people covered by the JobKeeper payment. We've actually doubled the jobseeker payment; we did that pretty much straightaway. All up, this is going to cost us about $130 billion. That is a lot of money that we've got to repay in the future. It's a question of balancing out the long-term effects of this with flattening the curve and keeping people's heads above water. I'd also like to commend the coalition government for investing heavily in mental health. We have to remember that there are not only the health effects of COVID-19 but the health effects of the devastating impact of the economic downturn. Having worked in finance for a number of years, I know what it can be like and what it will do to mental health. I should also commend the Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, who has done a fantastic job working with the various parties on getting these grants out.

I'm running out of things to say. I'll clarify some of these issues so people have a better understanding of what we have done. Employees hired after 1 March 2020 and casual employees who've been employed for less than 12 months as at the first—