Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Cormann. Can the minister confirm that dnata employees performing identical work as Australians in other firms, and contributing as taxpayers, face unemployment because the government has deliberately excluded them from the JobKeeper wage subsidy?

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

The company that Senator Sheldon references is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a foreign government owned business; a foreign government owned business which has recently released results showing that they are into their 32nd consecutive year of profitability. So I can confirm that the rules that apply to JobKeeper do not provide JobKeeper payments to Australian local government-owned businesses, do not provide JobKeeper payments to any government-owned businesses in Australia and not to foreign government-owned businesses in Australia.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sheldon, a supplementary question?

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Referring to the exclusion from JobKeeper of 5,500 dnata employees, Liberal MP Craig Kelly has said:

…these airport workers should be included. And these workers were all previous Qantas employees…

Can the minister confirm these workers would have been eligible for JobKeeper simply if they were employed by Qantas?

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

If a worker is employed by an Australian business that is a wholly-owned Australian business in Australia, and is otherwise eligible because of other requirements being met in relation to turnover variations and the like, then of course workers in that business, through that business, would be able to receive JobKeeper payments. But workers that are working effectively for a foreign government-owned business are not eligible under our rules.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sheldon, a final supplementary question?

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why won't the Morrison government step up to help workers at firms like dnata and preserve thousands of jobs and livelihoods as it has for millions of Australian workers to date?

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

I don't think that anyone can credibly argue that we're not stepping up to support Australian workers. We're providing massive support—massive support—to Australian workers. More than 5.5 million Australians are being supported by JobKeeper payment and, of course, we have effectively doubled the jobseeker payments, with a significant increase in the number of Australians now receiving jobseeker payments. We have provided a substantially enhanced social safety net, as well as providing support to businesses to stay connected to their longer-term employees. That is what we've done. The rules are very clear. You do have to draw the line somewhere, and it is true to say that foreign government owned businesses in Australia are not eligible for JobKeeper.