There have been many measures the government has introduced. Jobkeeper is the most significant.
But we also know there are some sectors that are facing very significant additional impacts as a result of the Covid-19 recession.
Australians know why the numbers on our economy are what they are today. Australians know that the Covid-19 recession has been produced by the global pandemic and the global recession that has followed from that. Australians know that.
And, Mr Speaker, anyone who would seek to suggest that it is other than that clearly isn’t living in the same country that the rest of us are, Mr Speaker or in the same place.
Mr Speaker, Australians know why.
But Australians also know that we were quick to put in place jobkeeper.
We were quick to also put in place a very significant package for homebuilder, which has been designed and is effective in making sure Australians who want to go and build homes, Mr Speaker, and do major renovations of their homes, Mr Speaker, are going to go about and do that.
We’ve seen that in Victoria, in New South Wales and particularly in Western Australia, Mr Speaker, the program has been picked up and endorsed and supported by the Western Australia government who have added to that project and have commended it for its timeliness and for its targeting, Mr Speaker.
So, whether it’s the construction industry, whether it’s the entertainment sector, Mr Speaker, the hospitality sector, whether it’s the aviation sector in particular, these areas so significantly impacted, the government has stepped up and we’ve stepped in and we will stand with them each and every step of the way.
But the path to recovery, Mr Speaker, will not just be paved with endless support of the government.
It will be paved with the endless effort of Australians and their enterprising spirit and restoring and building their businesses, whether they are a home-building business, a construction business, whether they are are a transport business, aviation, or retail, or whatever it is.
Those businesses will drive those jobs and the incomes Australians will rely on and that will drive our economy back, Mr Speaker, and we need to ensure the constraints are taken off them so they can get back to what they were doing, which is employ the millions of Australians you are referring to.
So jobkeeper will remain and as the businesses, including the construction sector, which will be a priority area for opening up in Victoria, Mr Speaker, because that is an area where you can open up your residential construction in Victoria, which is both Covid-safe and high economic impact. And I have been quite adamant about that being a key part of the Victorian opening strategy, and I welcome discussions with the premier about that very issue.
That is where the jobs and income will come from by the businesses getting back on their feet and provide ongoing support for employees.
