Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

This is a pretty serious moment for our nation, and I think I should be allowed to provide an explanation of the position of the government. This is a very difficult time for many Australians, in particular those who through no fault of their own have lost their jobs. What the government has set out to do, working with governments around Australia, is get on top of the health threat by slowing down and suppressing the spread of the virus by providing support to businesses, to ensure as many Australians as possible can remain connected to those businesses. We've also of course provided significantly enhanced transitional support to those Australians who have lost their jobs. Anyone who doesn't get support through JobKeeper is of course, consistent with appropriate arrangements, able to access jobseeker payments.