The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 09:30, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
BILLS
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Bill 2020
First Reading
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Ms Ley.
Bill read a first time.
Second Reading
Ms LEY (Farrer—Minister for the Environment) (09:32): I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.
This bill makes amendments to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 in order to waive the requirement for permit holders to remit the environmental management charge to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for the quarter 1 January to 31 March 2020. This is intended to provide financial relief to the Great Barrier Reef tourism industry and other relevant permission holders impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The government values the significant contribution of the tourism industry which welcomes so many of our visitors to the reef every year. The environmental management charge predominantly applies to tourism activities. The bill is intended to relieve rising pressures on tourist program operators, and on other permit holders, associated with the charge. This will provide much-needed relief for the tourism industry and further encourage visitors to the reef.
We know this measure will be incredibly welcomed by industry, with the Whitsunday Charter Boat Industry Association telling me the backdating of the EMC waiver to 1 January and the $3 million in further relief for our industry could not have come at a more opportune moment.
The environmental management charge is a tax primarily imposed on visitors to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The funds received from the charge are important in the day-to-day management of the marine park and in improving its long-term resilience. The government will ensure that there is no reduction in revenue that goes to the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park as a result of this amendment.
Full details of the measure are contained in the explanatory memorandum.
I commend the bill to the House.
Debate adjourned.
Product Stewardship (Oil) Amendment Bill 2020
First Reading
Bill and explanatory memorandum to this bill, and to the Excise Tariff Amendment Bill 2020, presented by Ms Ley.
Bill read a first time.
Second Reading
Ms LEY (Farrer—Minister for the Environment) (09:34): I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.
The Product Stewardship (Oil) Act 2000 establishes the Product Stewardship for Oil Scheme to encourage the environmentally sustainable management, recycling and reuse of used oil in Australia.
The scheme offers a benefit payment to oil recyclers as an incentive to increase the volume of used oil collected and recycled in Australia.
The Product Stewardship for Oil Scheme was intended to be self-funding by offsetting the benefit payments using revenue collected through the Excise Tariff Act 1921 and Customs Tariff Act 1995 from refineries and oil importers.
The Federal Court's decision in Caltex Petroleum Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [2019] FCA 1849 gave a broad interpretation of the definition of oils in the Product Stewardship (Oil) Act that included diesel.
This decision allowed for the payment of benefits for re-refined diesel for which no excise or excise-equivalent duty had been imposed. Another potential consequence of the Caltex case is that duty collected under the Excise Tariff Act to fund the scheme could apply to diesel.
The Product Stewardship (Oil) Amendment Bill 2020 will clarify the kinds of oils eligible for benefits under the Product Stewardship for Oil Scheme. It will amend the definition to cover lubricant oils, fluid oils and other oils and grease manufactured from base oils only and will explicitly exclude fuels such as diesel. This is consistent with how the scheme has been administered since it was established. For flexibility, it will also provide a power to prescribe other exclusions by regulations.
Amendments will also be made to the Excise Tariff Act 1921 to exclude diesel and other goods ordinarily used as fuels from the excise tariff item that applies to oil and grease. This will ensure consistency between the Product Stewardship (Oil) Act and the Excise Tariff Act in relation to the oils that are levied for the purposes of the scheme and, once recycled, can receive benefit payments under the scheme.
I commend the bill to the House.
Debate adjourned.
Excise Tariff Amendment Bill 2020
First Reading
Bill presented by Ms Ley.
Bill read a first time.
Second Reading
Ms LEY (Farrer—Minister for the Environment) (09:37): I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.
This bill, together with the Product Stewardship (Oil) Amendment Bill 2020, will ensure the Product Stewardship for Oil Scheme operates as originally intended.
This bill will amend the Excise Tariff Act 1921 to exclude diesel and other goods ordinarily used as fuels from the excise tariff item that applies to oils and grease. For flexibility, it will also provide power to prescribe other exclusions by regulations.
These changes align with amendments to the definition of 'oils' proposed in the Product Stewardship (Oil) Amendment Bill 2020, which will clarify the kinds of oils eligible for benefits under the Scheme.
Debate adjourned.
Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020
First Reading
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Tudge.
Bill read a first time.
Second Reading
Mr TUDGE (Aston—Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure ) (09:39): I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.
Since 2013, the government has reduced the number of people in held detention to 1373 as at 31 March 2020. In doing so, this government has closed 17 detention facilities across Australia, saving taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.
Nonetheless, immigration detention remains a crucial component of maintaining safe communities and strong border control. Non-citizen nationals and unlawful non-citizens who present an unacceptable risk to the Australian community are subject to visa cancellation and are detained while their status is being resolved, or until they are removed from Australia. Those who are refused clearance at the border will also be subject to detention while arrangements for their return are finalised.
This government has strengthened section 501 of the Migration Act to better protect the Australian community from non-citizen nationals who commit serious crimes. These changes have allowed the government to cancel the visas of more than 4,600 individuals who have committed criminal offences in Australia.
This action has resulted in a significant increase in the number of detainees with criminal histories in our immigration detention facilities. Today, a large proportion of the detention population are unlawful non-citizens who have criminal histories.
Some of these detainees have a history of child sex offences or violent crimes, including murder and domestic violence. Others have come to immigration detention with significant histories of drug-related offences or proven links to criminal organisations, such as outlaw motorcycle gangs and other organised crime groups. Unfortunately, some of these individuals seek to continue criminal activities and associations while in detention centres.
One of the most critical challenges in managing immigration detention is the continuing incursion, distribution and use of illegal drugs and contraband items, and associated criminal activity. Officers of the Australian Border Force (ABF) cannot fully maintain the safety, security and good order of immigration detention facilities, because legislation does not support them to remove illegal or dangerous items from detention facilities.
This government will not tolerate behaviour that is illegal or behaviour that threatens the stability of immigration detention facilities, placing detainees, ABF officers, service providers and visitors at risk.
The Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020 seeks to provide the legislative basis to enable ABF officers to effectively combat the incursion, distribution and use of contraband that pose a significant risk to the safety and security of the immigration detention environment.
Mobile phones and internet-capable devices present an unacceptable risk. This has been highlighted by a significant number of incidents involving the misuse of these devices in the last 12 months.
Mobile phones and internet-capable devices have been used to coordinate and facilitate escape efforts. They have been used to facilitate the movement of drugs and other contraband into detention facilities, to access child exploitation material and to organise criminal activity inside and outside immigration detention facilities.
They have also been used by detainees to intimidate and threaten the safety and welfare of staff. Staff have been filmed and photographed by detainees, with this material then transmitted to associates outside of detention facilities via social media. This is causing significant fear and stress for staff and their families.
While not introducing a blanket ban on mobile phones in detention, we are proposing to allow the minister to direct officers to seize mobile phones from certain categories of people, while providing officers with the discretion to search and seize for mobile phones in other circumstances. So people who are not using their mobile phone for criminal activities or activities that affect the health, safety and security of staff, detainees and the facility will still be able to retain their mobile phones.
There is also evidence of illegal substance use and trafficking in immigration detention facilities. This activity is at a degree that presents a serious health and safety risk to detainees, whether or not they are actively involved. This situation is also a safety risk to ABF officers and contracted service provider staff who may encounter unknown toxic substances or detainees affected by potent drugs.
The distribution and use of illegal substances within the immigration detention network includes dangerous substances such as methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and even fentanyl, a powerful opioid 50 to 100 times more concentrated than morphine. There has been a significant increase of prescription medication such as Xanax and Suboxone being found in the possession of detainees who do not hold a prescription for these medications. The misuse of prescription medications presents a serious risk to the health and safety of detainees and these items are also being used as a form of currency, which poses a risk to the order of the facilities.
The existing legislative arrangements are inadequate. It is incongruous that an agency mandated to protect Australia's community and borders from the entry of illegal substances is not sufficiently empowered to prevent the entry of illegal substances into facilities that it operates. Such a position poses a risk to the good order, and the safety and security of facilities under the agency's direct control.
The bill amends the Migration Act to enable the minister, by disallowable legislative instrument, to determine things to be prohibited things. These things will include illegal things, specifically illegal drugs, and things that might be a risk to the order of immigration detention facilities such as mobile phones, SIM cards, internet capable devices and medication taken without prescription. Further items can be added to the instrument if they are either illegal or they pose a risk to the safety and security of immigration detention facilities.
The bill makes amendments to the search and seizure provisions in the Migration Act, in order to ensure that we are able to effectively deal with such items.
The bill will also give the minister the power to issue binding written directions to officers that require them to exercise their seizure powers in relation to weapons, escape aids or prohibited things. This will allow the minister to implement a targeted, intelligence led, risk based approach to the mandatory confiscation of prohibited items of concern from detainees considered high risk and pose a threat to the safety and security of detainees.
The previous version of the bill, originally introduced in September 2017, also sought to specify a range of prohibited things via legislative instrument. In response to recommendations made by parliamentary committees, government amendments to the bill were introduced in May 2018.
The current version of the bill includes amendments that specifically address feedback from the committees to ensure the amendments do not trespass on personal rights and liberties of detainees. The proposed amendments are reasonable, necessary, proportionate, operationally achievable and the most effective way to mitigate risk and maintain the safety of all detainees and staff, and the order of facilities.
These amendments include that the legislative instrument will be disallowable; that certain medications and healthcare supplements will not be prohibited things in certain circumstances; and that detector dogs will be used to search detention facilities operated by or on behalf of the Commonwealth, and not detainees or people entering a detention facility. The bill incorporates all of these amendments.
The bill will ensure the safety of those in immigration detention facilities. It will ensure that ABF officers can carry out their responsibilities properly, minimising risks to the health, safety and security of persons in immigration detention facilities.
I commend the bill to the House.
Debate adjourned.
MOTIONS
Dairy Industry
Mr KATTER (Kennedy) (09:48): I move:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Kennedy from moving the following motion forthwith:
That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) on 6 May 2020 the Minister for Agriculture put out a media release titled "Time to stop milking dairy, fair go for farmers";
(b) nearly 500 dairy farmers have left the industry in the past year;
(c) the ACCC in 2018 identified that there is a market imbalance between processors and farmers;
(d) in the state of Queensland alone the number of dairy farmers has dropped from 1,305 in 2000-2001 to 356 in 2019;
(e) Australia had 12,896 dairy farms in the year 2000;
(f) in 2018 there were just 5,699 dairy farms, a reduction of 57 per cent which is likely to have increased in the last 12 months;
(g) in the North Queensland dairy area before deregulation farmers got 60.4 cents per litre, but after deregulation they got 41.1 cents;
(h) Dairy Australia's Situation and Outlook March 2020 report says dairy farmers have been impacted by the summer bushfires adding additional price pressures to their operations, including in:
(i) NSW, 32 dairy farms on the south coast and far south coast and eight on the mid coast;
(ii) North East Victoria, 35 dairy farms directly affected and 11 more operations significantly impacted;
(iii) East Gippsland in Victoria, approximately 30 dairy farms affected in the direct fire zone with varying degrees of impact, including two known to have lost major assets; and
(iv) South Australia, 12 dairy farms affected by fires prior to Christmas;
(i) Dairy Australia has also stated a range of factors weighed on economic growth last year, including geopolitical tensions, trade policy uncertainty, social unrest and stressed emerging markets and overall, growth in global output fell 0.7 per cent to 2.9 per cent, the lowest level since the 2008-09 financial crisis;
(j) the Australian Dairy Situation Analysis dated May 2019 states that Australian dairy farmers operate in a deregulated and open market, leaving them quite exposed to the product price adjustments induced by global market shocks and associated flow on impact to farm gate milk prices, which, coupled with increased volatility in the availability and pricing of key production inputs such as water and feed has undermined local farmer confidence in the long term dairy market outlook and the scope to extract reliable returns from their milk to build a longer term future; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) give more support to Australia's dairy farmers;
(b) instruct the ACCC to develop a minimum farmgate milk price;
(c) enforce the minimum farmgate milk price through the Dairy Code of Conduct; and
(d) as an interim measure, provide a mechanism for mandating the voluntary milk levy until the minimum farmgate price is established or create an offence to purchase fresh milk below the minimum price to farmers that will be set by an arbitration authority designated by the ACCC.
I represent one of the three areas designated in Australia as being the biggest and most at risk. Bega was another area that was designated as one of the biggest and most at risk. On the day before dairy deregulation, we were getting 60c a litre for fresh milk. The day after we were getting 41.1c a litre. Thirty per cent of our income was taken off us overnight. Every person in this room, imagine if you got a telephone call and were told that 30 per cent of your income was to be taken away tomorrow. That's what happened to these poor farmers.
For those that advocate for free markets, I strongly advise that they sue the universities they went to for not telling them that free markets do not include a situation where two retailers have 80 per cent of the marketplace. That is called an oligopoly, and proof positive is the fact that within one day the price had gone from 60c down to 40c. That's not a free market. That clearly is an oligopolistic pricing mechanism, where two, three or four people control the price. If further proof were needed, as Fred Cudor pointed out to me, if Coles and Woolworths could decide arbitrarily that they could put 20c a litre on milk to help drought affected dairy farmers then clearly they're controlling the marketplace. Just two people in the marketplace could unilaterally decide to kick the milk prices up 20c, further proof that it is not the market setting the price but the two giant supermarket chains.
I'm not attacking them. They have a responsibility to their shareholders to maximise profits. The honourable opposition member who will be seconding this motion, Mr Joel Fitzgibbon, has pointed out on numerous occasions that they have a responsibility to maximise profits to their shareholders. They're going to play by the rules, but we set the rules. The rules are based upon a free market when there is no free market, clearly. If overnight you can chop the price down 30c and then you can put it up 20c literally in one day, there is no free market. You're just deciding whatever price you want to put on it and that's the price it will be. That is the necessity for minimum pricing. Quite frankly, intelligent people—and there are a lot of unintelligent people out there—know that the government members are getting constant publicity because they are saying: 'Oh, this is dreadful. Oh, we must have a code of conduct. We've got to put a code of conduct in.' Well, they got the code of conduct in and we got 3c out of it. Consumers are paying 20c.
I can't speak for every farmer in Australia, but there are only two factories left in Queensland. One is in Brisbane and one is in North Queensland. There are a million people in North Queensland, so it's a very sizeable factory. For that area with a million people, I can say very definitely that we got 3.1c. So the consumer's paid 20c and the farmer got 3.1c—and it was to help the farmers! I don't know what farmers got helped, unless you consider 3c a help.
An arbitration commission—it was a fair claims commission, if you like—set the price for milk to the farmer at 60c a litre. If you extrapolate that price to prices currently, 20 years later, then you come up with a figure of 94c a litre. That's what they should be getting, and they're getting 60c a litre. I don't want to get tangled up with figures, but you don't have to be told that every dairy farmer in this country is going down. Some of the big boys think that, by getting bigger, they are going to be all right. I had discussions many years ago now with Tony Perich, the second biggest milk producer in Australia. He is in Penrith, outside of Sydney, and he's milking over 2,000 milkers. That's fantastic. I don't think anyone in Queensland is doing 700, and he was doing over 2,200 at the time. He said: 'We're losing money. If you think you're going to get bigger and that will somehow solve the problem, it won't, because I'm as big as there is and I'm still going broke.' For those stupids who think they can stay where they are, they will be gone because of their stupidity. You can take your free market and every intelligent person who believes in free markets—
The SPEAKER: Member for Kennedy, could you pause for a second. You have moved that standing orders be suspended, so at some point you really need to be saying why standing orders ought to be suspended.
Mr KATTER: I take your point, Mr Speaker. We have lost 500 dairy farmers in the last year. If I had to put a figure on it, I would say we're losing 30 a week. So do we stand here and do nothing—because this House maybe won't sit for another month or two; I don't know—and watch another 100 or 200 farmers hit the wall or move into a situation from which they can never recover? That is the urgency of this motion.
Quite frankly, I think there are probably some people over here who are not game to open their mouths but are praying that we get this through because, eventually, their farmers going to wake up. Eventually their farmers are going to wake up and say, 'We've been voting for the country party, but we don't think this mob are the country party anymore.' Sixty per cent of New South Wales has made that decision. With the land mass in New South Wales, they have left. All of North Queensland, virtually, has left. The people are not dumb and eventually they will wake up and realise that the party that was formed to deliver a statutory market, a minimum price, is now the party— (Time expired)
The SPEAKER: Is the motion seconded?
Mr FITZGIBBON (Hunter) (09:59): I second the motion and reassure the House that this matter is urgent, because not a day goes by when we don't lose another dairy farming family from the land. I remind members that this is an essential consumer good for Australians everywhere. The member for Kennedy has moved this as an urgent matter because he cares deeply about not just those dairy farming families but all those along the value chain and, of course, all those Australian consumers who don't want to find themselves in a situation where they're importing their drinking milk in powder form. Now, some people would say that is overreach. It is not. It is not overreach if we continue to lose our dairy farmers at the rate we have been losing them now for a number of years. So this is an urgent matter. It's a matter that can't be put off any longer.
I've been in the agriculture portfolio for, I think, almost seven years. My first meeting with Australian Dairy Farmers was a request—a plea, really—to put pressure on the government to put in place a mandatory code of conduct, urgently. That was nearly seven years ago. This is why this matter is urgent today. We finally had put in place a code of conduct late last year, but, as the member for Kennedy has pointed out, a code of conduct is not a sufficient mechanism to deal with the structural issues in the dairy sector and the power imbalance issues in the dairy industry. If you've got a structural problem, you need to address it with policy that addresses those structural problems and you need to do it very urgently, which is why the member for Kennedy has moved his motion today and it's why I am very happy to second it in this place.
Now, we are open to other ideas. I hope the member for Kennedy doesn't mind me saying that. If the government doesn't want to embrace the policy exactly as the member for Kennedy has put it, that's fine, but let us at least have an urgent conversation today about what the government might propose, because the only thing the government is proposing now, in addition to the mandatory code of conduct, which took six years to put in place, is to put pressure on the retailers to voluntarily keep a levy on milk to return to our dairy farmers. Well, voluntary isn't good enough. It's not sustainable. It's not going to address the structural issues in the industry.
The Labor Party proposed a very simple thing: refer to the ACCC to test the merits of a minimum farm gate price in every region—because every dairy region is different—so farmers couldn't be paid below their cost of production, which is regularly done to them on a regular basis now. But this government, for some bizarre reason which I cannot get my head around, is not even prepared to ask the ACCC to make that inquiry to test the merits and the efficacy of a minimum farm gate milk price. Do we not care about our dairy farmers and our dairy farming families sufficiently just to let the ACCC test that proposition? This is why this debate is urgent today: the clock is ticking. We are creeping further and further towards total import dependency for our fresh drinking milk—our drinking milk; it won't be fresh—and our other dairy products.
I've spent weekends on a dairy farm on a regular basis for the last couple of years. I've seen firsthand the impact of the drought and the price squeeze that our farmers have been in for such a long time now—in fact, arguably since deregulation in the early 2000s. It's urgent. The government needs to respond to this motion today, not ignore it as it usually does. To National Party MPs today: there's nothing politically in this motion. It doesn't criticise the government, so we're not inviting Nationals MPs to be critical of their own government. We're just asking them to vote with us today to send a clear signal to their own government that it's past time we did something for our dairy farming communities. (Time expired)
Mr TUDGE (Aston—Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure ) (10:04): I'll respond very briefly on behalf of the government that we won't be supporting the suspension of standing orders motion moved by the member for Kennedy. We appreciate his passion for this particular area and we appreciate the seriousness of the topic which he is raising, but the question for this parliament right now is that standing orders should be suspended to prioritise this above all other matters. That's actually the issue at hand here that we would be voting on, and we will not be supporting that, because there are other mechanisms to raise these issues should the member want to raise those issues and should, indeed, the Labor Party want to raise these issues.
Today the daily program does include very important matters. The very next bill that was about to be introduced concerns the National Skills Commissioner, which is going to be a very important piece of architecture to support the reskilling of Australia, which is going to be so needed following the coronavirus crisis to enable us to get through the recovery. There is also going to be an important report coming up in relation to the National Redress Scheme, and there will be a report which the member for Newcastle will be speaking to in the not-too-distant future as well. There are also other important tax measures as well as legislation in relation to defence, health insurance et cetera. That program is outlined.
That's why we won't be supporting this motion. There is a full program to get through today. There are other mechanisms to raise these important issues, and I encourage the member for Kennedy to do so.
The SPEAKER: The question is that the motion to suspend standing orders moved by the member for Kennedy be disagreed to.
The House divided. [10:11]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
The SPEAKER (10:15): Just while I have members here, and the member for Kennedy for here, I'm going to address the length of the motion. Some motions have become inordinately long, and this is against the practice of the House. The motion moved by the member for Kennedy obviously places the Speaker in a difficult position, because you're not sure when it's going to end—it was very, very long indeed. In fact, it went for nearly three minutes. Now, previous Speakers have warned of this practice. It's outlined clearly on page 297 of Practice where Speaker Snedden said that if the motions continued to be of that length, he would take action. He didn't need to and I don't want to, but members need to know that the motion needs to be a concise point that the House can make a decision on, and motions shouldn't narrate a long argument or debate the matter. I've been very practical with that in accepting there always is an element of that, but if that becomes the dominating feature then I want to be predictable, so I'm letting members know: if it gets to that point, if there was a repeat of what just occurred, I would simply withdraw the call, ask the member to go and amend their motion and give them the call at a later date.
Mr KATTER (Kennedy) (10:17): I understand what you're saying and I am chastened by my behaviour.
The SPEAKER: That's good! So I'll take that as you voluntarily not wishing the call for the rest of the week, or the rest of the day. That's no problem at all!
BILLS
National Skills Commissioner Bill 2020
First Reading
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Ms Ley, for Mr Tehan.
Bill read a first time.
Second Reading
Ms LEY (Farrer—Minister for the Environment) (10:19): I move:
That this bill be now read a second time
Today I'm introducing the National Skills Commissioner Bill to establish the statutory position of the National Skills Commissioner (Commissioner). The Commissioner will be a critical new part of Australia's economic infrastructure, providing independent expert advice and national leadership on the Australian labour market, current and future skills needs, and workforce development issues.
The Vocational Education and Training (VET) system is the engine room of Australia's future growth. It is the place where every year over four million Australians go to learn new skills, gain nationally recognised qualifications and springboard to their first or their next job. It is the place that employers turn to ensure their employees receive high-quality training, to enable them to do their existing jobs better or to perform new roles.
Now, more than ever, Australia needs the training system we have to be the best it has ever been. Australia's economy is changing rapidly and millions of Australians need to reskill and upskill in growth areas. It will be the Australian people, our human capital, that will lead Australia's recovery from the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, supported by our world-class VET system.
The bill I am introducing today will create a new independent National Skills Commissioner who will lead thinking on Australia's skills and workforce needs.
The Commissioner will consolidate and strengthen labour market and skills needs analysis, to provide an independent and trusted source of information about what is happening in the Australian labour market now and into the future. This research and analysis will draw on emerging data sources and cutting-edge analytic techniques to ensure Australia's labour market analysis capability is world leading.
This analysis will help close skills gaps and provide confidence to employers, students, tertiary educators and Australian governments that we are investing in the right skills at the right time. This is essential to prepare Australians for the workforce opportunities of today and tomorrow.
In addition, the Commissioner will examine the cost drivers and develop and maintain a set of efficient prices for VET courses to improve transparency, consistency and accessibility for students. Currently, VET prices and subsidies vary considerably around Australia, with students paying different prices for the same course and facing varying levels of quality.
I emphasise that an efficient price does not mean the lowest price. At the core of any purchasing decision is a decision about value for money, and VET is no different. In establishing efficient prices, the National Skills Commissioner will consider both the cost of delivering the qualification and the outcomes for the student. If the price for a course is higher, but that course consistently delivers students who are employed quickly with higher salaries, then it is safe to say it is value for money.
Central to the commissioner's work will be a focus on quality, to determine the price that delivers the skills that employers need and sets students up for a valuable career.
Finally, the commissioner will lead research and analysis to examine the effectiveness of the VET system and advise on the public and private returns on government investment. This means better understanding VET student outcomes, such as whether a student got a job and what they are now earning, as well as public benefits such as building a strong care workforce. This will enable Australian governments to direct investment towards high-quality courses that give students the best chance of getting a job, while strengthening our economy and society.
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised the importance and increased the urgency of this work, reinforcing the importance of our existing commitment to reform the VET system. It builds on our $585 million Delivering Skills for Today and Tomorrow skills package, and contributes to COAG's agreed vision for VET to be responsive, dynamic and trusted as a sector.
Together with the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Governance and Other Matters) Bill 2020, this bill delivers some of the key elements of the 2019 expert review of Australia's VET system, led by the Hon. Steven Joyce.
The role of the National Skills Commissioner is underpinned by the principles of independence, transparency and accountability. It will support a stronger, more agile VET system, enabling us to navigate economic recovery, lift productivity and lay the foundations for a prosperous future.
I commend the bill to the House.
Debate adjourned.
COMMITTEES
Public Works Committee
Approval of Work
Mr SUKKAR (Deakin—Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing ) (10:24): I move:
That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Australian Securities and Investments Commission—Fit-out of leased premises at 100 Market Street, Sydney.
ASIC proposes to undertake a fit-out of its existing leased premises, as noted, at 100 Market Street, Sydney, New South Wales. The current ASIC Sydney fit-out has reached the end of its useable life and requires a new fit-out to be able to flexibly meet ASIC's future business operations, accommodate staff growth and achieve overall compliance with the Department of Finance's workplace density target of 14 square metres per occupied work point. The estimated cost of the works will be in the order of $29.8 million.
The project was referred to the Public Works Committee on 27 November 2019. The committee has recommended that the House of Representatives resolve, pursuant to section 18(7) of the Public Works Committee Act, that it's expedient to carry out the project. Subject to parliamentary approval, fit-out works are scheduled to commence immediately and are scheduled to be completed by May 2021. On behalf of the government, I'd like to thank the committee for undertaking this timely inquiry. I commend the motion to the House.
Question agreed to.
Approval of Work
Mr SUKKAR (Deakin—Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing ) (10:26): I move:
That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Australian Taxation Office—Fit-out of leased premises at 152 Wharf Street, Brisbane.
The ATO proposes to fit out a building being newly constructed at 152 Wharf Street, Brisbane. The ATO is leasing 24,000 square metres and proposes to fit out about 18,000 square metres as contemporary open plan, grade A office accommodation that meets the government's occupational density target. The estimated cost of the works is $49.6 million and will be funded within the ATO's existing departmental budget.
The project was referred to the Public Works Committee on 27 November 2019, and the committee made two recommendations: firstly, that the House of Representatives resolve, pursuant to section 18(7) of the Public Works Committee Act, that it is expedient to carry out the project, and, secondly, that the Auditor-General consider conducting an audit into the process undertaken by the ATO in identifying and selecting 152 Wharf Street as the preferred site for the works. Subject to parliamentary approval, the fit-out works are expected to commence in February 2021 and be completed by August 2022. I want to thank the committee for undertaking the inquiry in a timely fashion. I commend the motion to the House.
Question agreed to.
Approval of Work
Mr SUKKAR (Deakin—Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing ) (10:28): I move:
That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: RAAF Base Tindal Redevelopment Stage 6 and the United States Force Posture Initiatives' RAAF Base Tindal Airfield Works and Associated Infrastructure.
The Department of Defence proposes to deliver the following works at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory: RAAF Base Tindal redevelopment stage 1, component 1, and the US FPI RAAF Base Tindal airfield and associated infrastructure works, known as component 2. RAAF Base Tindal is the Air Force's major operational base in northern Australia and is critical to the employment of Australia's air combat capability. The US Air Force will also conduct training from RAAF Base Tindal under the Enhanced Air Cooperation component of the US Force Posture Initiatives.
The estimated costs of the works to be undertaken over eight years from 2021 is $1.174 billion, including defence contingency. The project was referred to the Public Works Committee on 25 February 2020, and the committee has recommended that the House of Reps resolve, pursuant to section 18(8) of the Public Works Committee Act, that it's expedient to carry out the project. Subject to parliamentary approval, construction activities are expected to commence mid this year and be completed in late 2027. Again, I want to, on behalf of the government, thank the committee for undertaking the inquiry in such a timely fashion. I commend the motion to the House.
Question agreed to.
Implementation of the National Redress Scheme
Report
Ms CLAYDON (Newcastle) (10:30): On behalf of the Joint Select Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme, I present the committee's report entitled Implementation of the National Redress Scheme.
Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).
Ms CLAYDON: by leave—I am very pleased to rise today to speak on this report as the Deputy Chair of the Joint Select Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme. At the outset, I would really like to extend my very sincere thanks and appreciation to the survivors and their families and advocacy groups who took the time to make submissions or give personal testimony through the public hearings. I acknowledge that it can be an extremely difficult process to revisit these matters for many people, and I appreciate the extraordinary generosity that survivors have shown in taking part in this inquiry.
I'd also like to put on record my sincere thanks to the secretariat and all the committee members for their incredible flexibility and willingness for us to modify plans at very short notice to take account of the impacts of COVID-19 and the rapidly evolving situation. It was terrific that we could continue this important public inquiry, even though many other committees of the House and the parliament were going into hiatus at the time.
I did want to assure survivors and their families and those advocacy groups that their voices were heard, and that their testimony was the impetus for the committee to provide an interim report. The purpose of that was that we have a mandatory two-year anniversary of the scheme fast approaching. There is a legislative review period built in for that two years, and this report that I table today will be fundamental in giving the government some very clear guidance and an understanding very much from the perspective of survivors of what will be required in that two-year review.
I might add that I hope the government, having been less than enthusiastic at the beginning about reforming this committee, now appreciates the value of having this input and a record of survivors' experiences of the Redress Scheme to date. It's become very clear over the course of the inquiry that the Redress Scheme continues to fail to deliver on its promise. It is utterly appalling that it is now almost two years since the Redress Scheme was introduced but fewer than 1,500 payments have been made despite the royal commission estimating that some 60,000 people may be eligible for this scheme. Most shamefully, we learnt that 22 people have died whilst waiting for their claims to be processed.
The role of the interim report, as I said, was to inform the work of this mandated second anniversary review of the Redress Scheme. We have presented 14 very clear recommendations giving specific guidance to the government on the design and delivery of the review. It also recommends important areas of focus around the issues of counselling and psychological care; the lowering of the monetary cap from $200,000 to $150,000; the unjust nature of the current assessment framework that's being used; our concerns around the application process, which have been ongoing; and the work-flow process, which is showing ridiculously long delays for these payments to be processed.
This report will also address some of those fundamental failings of the scheme, including shockingly poor engagement with survivor groups; the current unfair practices of indexing those former payments offered; and the very, very low rate of applications that have been received. Regretfully, many of these deep systemic and structural problems are ones that I identified to the last parliament when I last reported on the work of this committee. So it pains me greatly that many of these red flags were held up to the government more than 12 months ago now, and I am back again in this House repeating and trying to lay bare those deep systemic structural inequities in this scheme that still need to be fixed.
Another key recommendation of the report is that the government should consider an advanced payment scheme, especially for those survivors who are vulnerable. We have looked at international jurisdictions, especially in the case of the Scottish Parliament, who have really led the way in this regard. We took evidence from an advocacy group in Western Australia, and the people that they represent have already received their early payment from the Scottish Parliament. But two years down the track, those in the Australian scheme are yet to receive a single cent. That, I think, should illustrate to us the inadequacies of this current system. Forcing survivors to wait a day longer than they need to for Redress Scheme payments just adds further injustice to the trauma that people have already experienced.
Today, I would like to draw specific attention to recommendation 10, which emphasised the need to penalise organisations that were named during the royal commission or have been identified in redress applications received to date but have failed to join the scheme as participating non-government institutions. The 30 June deadline is looming. We know that there are almost 550 applications currently on hold because 284 non-government institutions have not joined the scheme. I cannot express my disgust strongly enough at that, because, if you were named in the royal commission, you have had five years in which to start getting your house in order and prepare yourself to be a participatory organisation in this scheme. The government then very generously, in my view, gave you an additional two years under the Redress Scheme to ensure that you did what was morally and ethically correct, and that is to sign up to be a participant in this National Redress Scheme, but you have failed. Now you have six weeks in which to join this scheme before that deadline kicks in, and that is an issue that this committee is very focused on right now.
Make no mistake, the government needs to understand that they are on notice to deliver on their promise to name and shame these organisations who have been derelict in their social, moral and ethical obligations to our community. The Morrison government must consider every means at its disposal to ensure these organisations sign up, including removing their charitable status and/or any other sources of public funding and concessions they receive, as well as naming and shaming these recalcitrant organisations.
The committee also recommended that a full list of organisations that have not signed up by the deadline of 30 June 2020 and those that have declined to join the scheme—and we know there are some, which are yet to be named—be published on the National Redress Scheme website, including the written statement provided by each institution, which will detail all financial benefits accrued by means of their charitable status and/or any other sources of public funding or concessions they receive. It would then be up to the minister to convene a meeting of all jurisdictions to determine and advise the action that will be taken. With only six weeks to go until this deadline, it really is time for this government to get serious about making good on its promise to name and shame those organisations that have refused to do the right thing and participate in this scheme.
There is no time for delay. As I said, these are non-government institutions, most of whom have had up to seven years warning now to get themselves into a position where they become signed-up participants. There are no more excuses. The Morrison government must act on now this report as a matter of great urgency. We know that this government has been kicking the redress can down the road for way too long, and this has got to stop. I cannot stress more the frustration that survivors and their families and advocacy groups feel right now. This is the second time they have come to a parliamentary committee to express their grave concerns about the current implementation of this scheme. If there are not some clear remedies to this scheme in the very short future, then I despair for survivors and their view of this government on such an important national issue. This parliament was joined in its commitment to ensuring a strong National Redress Scheme. Now is the time to deliver it. Survivors have waited all their lives for redress, and they should not have to wait a single day longer.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Rob Mitchell ): Does the member for Newcastle wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a future occasion?
Ms CLAYDON (Newcastle) (10:42): I move:
That the House take note of the report.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: In accordance with standing order 39, the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.
Reference to Federation Chamber
Ms CLAYDON (Newcastle) (10:43): I move:
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
Question agreed to.
BILLS
Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
Second Reading
Consideration resumed of the motion:
That this bill be now read a second time.
to which the following amendment was moved:
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House:
(1) calls on the Government to commit to the legislated increase of the superannuation guarantee to 12 per cent; and
(2) notes that the Government's failure to make sure multinationals pay their fair share of tax in Australia is weakening our economy".
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Rob Mitchell ) (10:43): The original question was that this bill be now read a second time. To this the honourable member for Whitlam has moved an amendment that all words after 'That' be omitted with a view to substituting other words. The immediate question is that the words proposed omitted stand part of the question.
Ms STEGGALL (Warringah) (10:43): The opportunity cost of multinational tax avoidance in Australia is an issue that reaches into the lives of every Australian. This bill and the Tax Avoidance Taskforce demonstrates that multinational tax avoidance in Australia is an issue that is on the government's radar—or that it is aware of it—but so far hasn't seen much action.
The importance of combating tax avoidance cannot be understated. The 2016 revelation of the Panama papers was a shock to the system for those around the world engaging in shady tax avoidance practices. The 11.5 million leaked documents galvanised governmental action around the world. Australia's response, such as a tax avoidance task force, was broadly successful in achieving its stated aims. This bill builds on the task force aims. The bill schedules that there are obvious benefits to redefining the nature of a significant global entity at schedule 1. We can pass this bill and the wording of an amendment will change, but dishonest actors will continue to shelter Australian money in offshore tax havens, and multinational corporations will continue paying little to no tax. The central revelation of the Panama Papers was the scale of the problem we face. Tax havens and avoidance have become a feature of the global economy. We can do more than tweak definitions.
A key avoidance technique particularly impacting Australia is transfer mispricing. Two companies which are owned by the same multinational group transfer goods and entities between each other at a predetermined price. It's estimated that roughly a third of international trade occurs in this way. Wealth crosses national borders at a substantially reduced tax rate. The transferred wealth often becomes sheltered in offshore tax havens. Estimates from 2018 advise that the figure housed in tax havens is US$8.7 trillion, starving developed and developing countries alike of between US$500 billion to US$600 billion in valuable public spending each year. This has implications. The money's not being invested or capitalised on in any way; it's simply sitting there, benefitting nothing and, more importantly, no-one.
I asked the question: What is the true cost of tax avoidance? What are the costs to the citizens of Warringah? What are the costs to the citizens and governments of Australia? And what are the costs to the world at large? The costs are many. Every year small businesses in Warringah pay their fair share in tax. From the Salty Rooster on Queenscliff Beach to Janos Kiss Hair in Cremorne, much loved Mosman businesses, back with a new lease of life, these honest businesses are asked to contribute roughly 27.5 per cent in tax, whilst a major telecommunication company involved in the Panama Papers paid zero per cent. Every year the Australian government loses federal revenue from tax-avoiding corporate groups. The tax gap, the amount estimated which the ATO would receive if large corporate entities were legally compliant, is worth $109 billion. One-third of these companies fail to pay a cent. Every year the capacity for developing nations to invest in their people is undermined by tax-avoidant behaviour, and these governments tend to rely more on corporate tax revenue.
What are the solutions? The international tax system was put together under the League of Nations a century ago. It's time for change. I'm encouraged to see the OECD's proposals for resolving the challenges of an increasingly digitised and globalised economy, but under their proposed framework multinational enterprises would pay a minimum level of tax whilst simultaneously providing no incentive for corporations to profit shift away from low-tax jurisdictions. Multilateral cooperation will be vital in solving this issue and returning wealth that was produced in Australia back to Australians. I call on the Australian government to advance this international debate.
Mr BANDT (Melbourne—Leader of the Australian Greens) (10:48): It's going to be crucial for us, if we're to fund the services that Australians need and expect and rely on, to make multinationals pay their fair share of tax. I think there's universal agreement on that, if there hasn't always been universal action. There is certainly a widespread view amongst the Australian people that multinationals are getting away without paying any tax through different structuring of their arrangements across various jurisdictions, transfer pricing et cetera. We've all heard the lingo, but the effect of it is that, even though some multinationals do huge amounts of business here in Australia, they often end up paying little or next to no tax. So there is agreement on that. Certainly, there is agreement on that from the Greens' point of view. We have been amongst the fiercest pushing for multinationals to pay their fair share of tax. That is going to be needed in order to fund services that Australians expect.
One of the concerns is that there is an increasing linking of this by the government to the need, they say, to urgently pay down debt that has been incurred as a result of the response to the coronavirus crisis. And the opposition, in their second reading amendment, point to the question of weakening our economy. It's to those questions in connection with this bill and in connection with that amendment that I want to speak specifically. After years of campaigning against public debt and deficits, the Liberal Party has now delivered the biggest deficit in Australian history. They might feel ashamed, and I'm sure the shadow Treasurer will do his best to make them feel ashamed, because Labor seems to have taken all the wrong lessons from the last few years and are doing their best impression of an austerity obsessed Tony Abbott right now. But they shouldn't be and nor should the government.
Debt and deficits are not good or bad per se. They are a vehicle we can use to improve the quality of peoples' lives. We can use them to get people who want work into a job. We can improve our flagging productivity, and we can use them to build the infrastructure we need to protect us from the climate emergency. Public debt to invest in our future is absolutely critical to the wellbeing of our people, especially young people, who have been hit the hardest by the shutdown. But, if both the Liberal and Labor parties continue down this path of demonising debt and deficits, we will only end up in one place: austerity, and that means harsh budget cuts under the auspices of so-called tightening the belt. And what this means in real life for real people is more misery.
We saw it in the aftermath of the Great Depression, and we saw it as recently as the UK response to the GFC by their Conservatives that led to another 800,000 children living in poverty. History has told us clearly that cutting back on public spending after an economic crisis prolongs and deepens the recession and makes any recovery harder than it should be. If our two parties of government, as they call themselves, keep demonising public debt and deficits, then what austerity will guarantee for our country is economic stagnation, a rising cost of living, cuts to social security and public services, falling incomes and even higher unemployment. We can't cut our way out of this crisis. We have to invest to recover. Yes, we should tighten the loopholes to make sure multinationals pay their fair share of tax—absolutely—but now is also the time to use the cheapest money available in history to build a new future, create jobs and clean up our economy. Hypothetically, even if Australia tripled its net debt it would still be below countries like the US, UK and France. We are nowhere near crisis levels of debt, as some are telling us. Instead, this is our chance to use debt to transform our society and create a cleaner economy and a fairer society. If we can remake our society to protect us from a virus, we can remake it to look after people and our environment. If we choose to invest more now, we can build a better future. What this pandemic and the response to the economic crisis has shown is that the government is able to respond to any big problems we face, so long as they listen to the scientists and the experts and we mobilise the collective resources of society for the common good.
The government has rapidly expanded our public debt to respond to this crisis, but what happens next is just as important. We can't simply cut and save our way out of an economic crisis and hope that big corporations will pick up where government has failed, even if we do make some of them pay their fair share of tax, as this bill is proposing. Because, at the same time as we have these measures, there is talk from the government about lowering company taxes. Lowering company taxes, slashing public spending and eroding workers' rights will only further entrench disadvantage. If the government and opposition genuinely care about what legacy and what burden we are leaving to the next generation, let's ensure that the choices we make now are in the interests of young people, not the government's big corporate donors.
After World War II, government debt hit a record of over 120 per cent of GDP. Yet, it was paid off, effectively, within a decade—just a decade—because it was used to grow the economy and get people into secure work. We can achieve the same results here now if we borrow to invest to grow a clean, fair, caring economy. Expanding public debt in this time of crisis is central to good economic management. If we make the right investments, then by combining government borrowing at record low interest rates, with a better tax system, where the polluters and multinationals pay their fair share of tax, we can increase productivity and wealth and naturally bring the budget back to balance without the need for austerity measures or rushing to pay down the cheapest debt in history.
We owe it to the next generation to take this investment path. Let's not forget that young people were hard hit by the GFC and underemployment remained persistently high for years, even as the general population recovered. Before the coronavirus crisis started, nearly one in three young people in this country either had no job or not enough hours of work. The coronavirus crisis is set to make this much worse. Youth underemployment could be as high as 20 per cent coming on top of years of high youth unemployment and underemployment following the GFC. Right now, we either risk losing a generation to economic devastation and the climate crisis, or we can all recover by investing in a way that leaves no-one behind.
The government has a choice. It can build a better future for all of us through a Green New Deal, with better TAFEs, universities and schools; a well-resourced public health system; a manufacturing revival of green steel and battery storage; and a high-quality universal public service and public infrastructure. All these improvements to our lives require jobs, and lots of them. We get the CSIRO, or other Australian manufacturers, to make the vaccine when it's developed, so that we don't have to rely on Donald Trump or another country prioritising their own distribution. We financially compensate carers, create 40,000 construction jobs and 4,000 apprenticeships to fill the public housing gaps, and create jobs in our regions, especially bushfire-hit regions, through programs of environmental restoration. We can clean up our local habitat and waterways, so that all our lakes and rivers are swimmable. Restoring the health of our country creates lots of jobs—the crucial jobs that the private sector will not provide—which is why the government must step in to lead the way out of this crisis.
We should not be afraid of debt, because, if we use it wisely, we will grow that clean economy and that caring and creative society, and be in a much stronger position in a few years time to pay off that debt than if we just pretend, as the Liberals are proposing, that we can cut our way back to success, or if we listen to Labor and believe that debt and deficits are things to be demonised. This is the choice: a Green New Deal or austerity and misery. It seems that the government and Labor are lining up to stand together on the wrong side of this choice, but the Greens will continue to fight for recovery over austerity and investment over cuts.
Mr SUKKAR (Deakin—Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing ) (10:58): In summing up, as I've outlined previously, the government's committed to strengthening the integrity of our tax system and to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our super system. The measures in this bill will build on those two commitments. Schedule 1 to the bill amends the definition of a 'significant global entity' to ensure that multinationals can't structure to avoid our multinational tax integrity rules, which remain some of the strongest in the world. SGE, or significant global entity, is a concept to define, generally speaking, a group of entities interrelated by a control relationship that could enable non-arm's-length dealings of special interest to tax authorities around the world, including, of course, the Australian tax office. Many of the significant actions undertaken by the government to tackle multinational tax avoidance in recent years rely on this definition. This measure will ensure members of large business groups, headed by propriety companies, trusts, partnerships, investment entities and individuals are subject to these stringent integrity rules.
In addition, schedule 2 to the bill will make permanent the current temporary CGT relief for merging superannuation funds from 1 July 2020. This will facilitate and encourage, or certainly remove one of the barriers to, superannuation fund managers merging, ultimately benefiting the members of those underperforming super funds. This tax relief is important in giving superannuation fund trustees certainty to undertake longer-term planning and merger negotiations. Of course, without this measure inefficient funds may be unable to merge or to exit the industry, likely resulting in members of those funds ultimately having lower incomes in their retirement.
Full details of the measures are contained in the explanatory memorandum. I commend the bill to the House.
The SPEAKER: The original question was that this bill be now read a second time. To this the honourable member for Whitlam has moved as an amendment that all words after 'That' be omitted, with a view to substituting other words. So, the immediate question is that the words proposed to be omitted stand part of the question.
The House divided. [11:04]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
Third Reading
Mr SUKKAR (Deakin—Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing ) (11:08): by leave—I move:
That this bill be now read a third time.
Question agreed to.
Bill read a third time.
DOCUMENTS
Kelly, Hon. Dr Michael Joseph, AM
Presentation
The SPEAKER (11:08): As members are well aware, I received the resignation of the former member for Eden-Monaro and I have reported that to the House. The former member for Eden-Monaro didn't make a valedictory speech; he resigned prior to us sitting. But of course, even if he'd been able to, with the circumstances we face he wouldn't have had guests and all the rest. So what I'm going to do is present a document relaying the valedictory remarks of the Hon. Mike Kelly. I advise members that these remarks will be incorporated in the Hansard.
The document read as follows—
Farewell
I would like to firstly begin by recording my gratitude to you Mr Speaker for making it possible for me to register this valedictory speech in the circumstances, which have prevented me from doing so in the chamber. I was cautious about doing a valedictory as it seemed to me to be an act of vanity in times like these but I appreciate you making this option open to me, in a way that will not distract the House from its important work nor take any time away from the chamber. I also take this opportunity to say that I have the highest possible regard and respect for you Mr Speaker and I am confident in asserting that you have been one of the very best in this role that we have ever had.
No doubt by now most of you will be aware of the fact that I have been forced to resign as member for Eden Monaro due to increasingly problematic health issues. I would like to sincerely thank all of you here and the broader public, who have passed on so many messages of love and goodwill. That love is unconditionally reciprocated. This was the most gut wrenching decision I have had to make in my life, amongst countless tough decisions I have had to make over the last 36 years. Eden Monaro runs deep in my blood and heart, and it has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve this community and to be part of a proud family tradition in this respect.
In the 119 year history of Eden Monaro no member has ever given a valedictory speech until now. Only one member has not tasted defeat (Austin Chapman) and he died in the saddle. That leaves Allan Fraser as the only other person who has retired as a sitting member, which he did in 1972, having won back the seat after his 1966 loss. Allan has been the longest serving member (26 years) and was highly regarded in the community for his strong advocacy and independent thought. Notwithstanding a life of achievement for the region he nevertheless retired under a cloud of personal disappointment and later in life he bleakly remarked: 'To a very large extent, my career [in politics] has been futile'. This highlights the fact that Eden Monaro is without doubt the toughest seat in Australia and that a life in politics can be frustrating and soul destroying if you can't go in and come out with a good mental health strategy and realistic outlook.
The challenges of the seat stem from its unique combination of size, terrain, weather, scattered population, incredible diversity and long standing marginality, which no other seat can match. Those challenges also give it its great beauty and character, and it is these very qualities that I truly love about our region. I always understood also the realties of politics and so, while I have been frustrated and disappointed at not having been able to make the most use of my hard won experience, I understand that is an inherent risk in this endeavour. I am fortunate to be in a position to keep all of that in perspective having had a very rewarding career outside of politics and being buoyed by the things we have been able to achieve working together as a community.
To meet those challenges, however, you need to be physically and mentally up to the task. I have had to concede that I can no longer sustain the effort that our community demands and deserves. I have just gone through my tenth procedure for my renal condition in the last six months and there will be more in the months and years ahead. Each of these procedures results in weeks of limitations. In addition the Department of Veterans' Affairs has just classified me as 'permanently impaired' due to my deteriorating osteoarthritis. All of my health problems are due to my military service, with my osteoarthritis being steadily worsened due to the demands of working for Eden Monaro. Over 36 years of total commitment of body and soul to service has taken a heavy toll. I guess some things you never stop paying for but service is its own reward and I would not change a thing (except maybe better hydration!).
Essentially, continuing on at taxpayer expense, doing the job half pace and disappointing our community, is not something that I would be able to endure or tolerate.
Added to this my wife Shelly is also experiencing health issues and I must now be in a better position to support her. I have often heard politicians say that while they are volunteers for a political life their families are conscripts. To say that in my case would be an insult to Shelly and my son Ben. We always made decisions about my work together and they have made the huge sacrifices that they have willingly, knowing that they too in this way were rendering service to the nation. Having said that they have endured a great deal, particularly during my frequent deployments in the Army, when I was away for long periods, often out of communication and with no guarantee I would be coming back. It never got any easier at our partings, where you often felt a little piece of your heart break away. Politics also has not been easy for them but they were also highly motivated for this work. The time has now come, though, where I focus on their security and supporting them.
I must now move to a desk job where I can better manage the health issues of Shelly and I, but where I can also continue to make a difference within those limitations. In particular I want to continue to find ways to boost our local economy and provide the rewarding jobs of the future for our kids, to work towards solutions to our key issues in preventing and managing disasters and pandemics, and particularly in taking up the technological challenge of accelerating our renewable energy future. No region in Australia understands the importance of these things better than Eden Monaro.
I very much regret that I will be the cause of a by-election but I think the positive aspect of this is that it will put the current trauma of Eden Monaro in the national spot light and enable us to force a competition for the sort of support our community is crying out for. If I had been the member for a small urban seat I could probably have batted on but that is not possible in Eden Monaro. While we have been navigating this devastating COVID-19 situation, being restricted in my movements has not been so important, but with restrictions likely to begin easing soon, and certainly by the time a by-election is finalised, the new member will need to be back on the road and working closely with the community again. The timing is therefore right for this decision.
Our region has been transformed by the things we have done together. Key improvements to our road networks, including the Bega Bypass and getting the Barton Highway duplication on the agenda of all sides of politics, which will benefit the whole region. The improvements to our schools, including the Trade and Training Centres that were established in Eden, Bega, Bombala and Batlow. A substantial improvement to health support through investment in primary health care, building the new South East Regional Hospital and upgrades to Wagga Base Hospital that is so important to the Snowy Valleys area. This also included the new GP Super Clinics in Jindabyne and Queanbeyan and finally getting support for the new Tumut Hospital. I was particularly pleased to have helped save the Katungal Aboriginal Health Service which went through some tough times but has bounced back well, providing an essential service to our First Nation community.
Over $40m dollars in new and restored social housing. Wide investment in improved sports facilities and social infrastructure, such as the Sapphire Aquatic Centre, Bermagui SLSC, Campese Field 'White House', Freebody Cricket Pavillion, Bega Recreation Grounds, the Werri-Nina Community Centre and pool upgrades in Cooma and the many other sporting and community organisations we helped support through a myriad of grants that we worked on together.
Over the years we have been together on many occasions such as marching with you on ANZAC days, celebrating our many new citizens on Australia Day and other occasions and our many fantastic festivals and events. But we have also shared the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss policy and problems at over 400 hundred forums and town halls and I have been pleased to have sent out over 65,000 letters on behalf of constituents. The greatest satisfaction the team and I have had is when we have been able to resolve the many thousands of individual constituent problems. Although the times we have not been able to achieve solutions have been frustrating we nevertheless feel assured that we left no stone unturned in our endeavours for our community.
Important tourism support such as getting the wharf extension in Eden up and running. Our success in winning better support for the Timber industry in the Snowy Valleys region and our continuing fight for the inclusion of the Carbon Farming Initiative in an international trading regime to boost investment and income for our farmers and timber industry. I was particularly proud of supporting the Home in Queanbeyan project and working with the very special people who championed it, including Father Peter Day, Michael Cockayne and Anne Pratt. This project led the nation in innovating better support to our homeless suffering from mental health issues. This is a great model that should be taken up more widely across the nation in population centres which have the scale to support it.
I experienced great satisfaction out of working in support of initiatives for the economic future of the region such as making the most from the Snowy 2.0 project, our plantation timber industry and the technology park project in Queanbeyan.
In parliament I was fortunate to have had a varied experience and opportunity to contribute as a Parliamentary Secretary at various times in the Water, Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry and Defence portfolios and as Minister for Defence Materiel. Since 2016 I have also served as Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence, on the Shadow National Security Committee of Cabinet and with great satisfaction on the bi-partisan Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS). Of course I would have liked to have made a greater contribution as Defence Minister but as often happens in politics that opportunity never eventuated. I am nevertheless proud of having established the Australian Civil Military Centre (ACMC) which was born from my military experience in counter insurgency, peace operations and counter terrorism. The ACMC delivers a unique capability to government and civil-society partners, facilitating and improving the mobilisation of our national efforts to promote disaster resilience, peace, security and stability overseas in coordination with friends and neighbours. The ACMC was absolutely instrumental in helping us to win a seat on the UN Security Council in 2013 and I was delighted to have played a role in that effort. It was a particular thrill to have been the first Australian political representative to address the Council in 27 years. I also found it intensely rewarding to work with my good friend the member for Berowra in the Parliamentary Friends of the Prevention of Suicide, standing alongside some wonderful civil society groups and with the Health and Shadow Health Ministers in a wonderful bi-partisan spirit.
I was also pleased to have played a role in getting the Hawkei tactical vehicle project up and running, including seeing the inclusion of composite materials, from the Australian company Quickstep, for the first time in an Australian built military vehicle. I was pleased to have resolved issues related to the MRH90 project, to have administered our projects of concern process and to have helped win the battle for bi-partisan support for Australian construction of naval vessels. I am only sorry that we did not get the opportunity to implement our Future Submarines Industry and Skills Plan and see through our commitment to building new supply vessels in Australia. If that had have happened we would have avoided the so-called 'Valley of Death' in ship building jobs and been so much further advanced on submarines.
The electorate office team of Robbie Rynehart, Radmila Noveska, Brian Brown, Jo Riley-Fitzer and Luke Kenton among others over the years that I have been fortunate to have supporting me has been magnificent and, together with our volunteers, have ensured a powerful voice to our people, a tremendous record of help and compassion and historic achievements in breaking the bellwether, not once but twice!
I have also been fortunate to work with some thoroughly decent and responsible men and women in the union movement and business. It filled me with optimism that we can build a better industrial culture in this country.
Contrary to the old saying that if you want a friend in politics you should get a dog, I have been fortunate to have made many friends in my time in parliament, and on both sides of the chamber. I have always been happy to work with anyone who has the national interest at heart and who are fundamentally decent people, even if we may have deep differences on some aspects of policy issues. I wish all parliamentarians all the best in their endeavours as they continue to work together through the recovery from our current distress. Real people, living with real struggles desperately need a united political effort right now.
There are too many names to mention in the list of people I am proud to call friends but I would like to single out Chris Hayes who has been a tower of strength to me and a trusted brother through all the ups and downs of this experience. I couldn't have survived this far without his wise counsel, help and shoulder to cry on. He is one of the truly decent people in the parliament.
I want to reassure all those wonderful people in the community I have worked with shoulder to shoulder, such as the Clean Energy For Eternity team, that I will not be giving up the fight and will continue to strive in particular to see this nation embrace serious action on climate change. That is the single greatest long term threat to this region.
I will also continue to work towards building the new economy that our nation will need to recover from our setbacks, to keep our people safe from the scourge of terrorism, boost our defences against information warfare and cyber threats to our security and improve our general Defence capability. To leverage these solutions to provide us with the ability to prevent mega fires and manage disasters. To effectively integrate and manage our energy grid and resources, to strengthen Australian companies and their competitiveness, to achieve the better and more efficient delivery of services. To build Australian technological capacity and leverage international R&D and venture capital resources to support our innovators and build skills and expertise. To boost Australian tertiary research and ensure we are better placed to have Australian companies participate in Defence projects.
I would like to thank all the Labor leaders who have enabled me to contribute in various portfolio roles and the shadow National Security Committee of Cabinet and to my colleagues on the PJCIS in all the critical work we have tried to do over these last few challenging years. I believe I am the most senior former military officer to sit in a Labor caucus and I hope I am not the last as both sides of politics benefit from having a range of backgrounds in their midst.
My only regrets are that we were not able to see through the Labor policy agendas of 2013 and 2019. I believe the 2019 team would have made a very good government and set us up well to deal with all the challenges facing this nation. I hope we can move forward to a better standard of politics through our experience of dealing with the current crisis and will do all I can to encourage bi-partisan solutions to our biggest questions.
I pay tribute to all the wonderful colleagues and friends who I served with and who mentored me in my Army career. It was a great privilege to have known outstanding individuals like (excusing ranks and titles) Peter Arnison, Frank Hickling, Peter Cosgrove, Angus Houston, Mark Binskin, Tim Ford, Dave Hurley, Duncan Lewis, and particularly Peter Leahy who all shaped my growth as a soldier, person and my outlook on life. There are a myriad of friends who made that whole experience special and who I regard as the finest the nation can produce, including everyone from John Caligari and my SO2 brothers in Somalia and 1Div to the special crew at Battle Wing Canungra in Woody, Peeps, Tracker and Cowboy who gave me precious survival skills and a great perspective. I hope I haven't let you down. Most importantly I remember the very many friends and colleagues I lost on operations. They were far too precious for the world to lose and I have tried very hard to dedicate my work here to their memory so that their loss would mean something.
Finally I want to thank the amazing crew who work in this building, so many of whom I was privileged to call my constituents. They were always a great reality check and fun to talk with in a sometimes dour building. They reminded me always of my own roots and what we were here for, from the wonderful and hard pressed cleaners, to the good humored and professional security and chamber staff. I love you all and wish nothing but the best for you and your families.
In the wake of our ANZAC remembrance it is worth noting that while it is hard to see a path to a brighter future now, and it would be easy for us to give in to despair, that is not what Australians are about, it is not in our character or tradition. I believe we will come out of all this stronger, and we can use the challenges to forge new opportunities and correct the national deficiencies that have held us back. I hope we can also see a better standard of politics emerge from this current national effort after all the low lights of the last 13 years. I am excited to continue to be a part of our national endeavours, albeit driving a desk in future, but rest assured I will fight on.
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the Opposition) (11:09): on indulgence—Mr Speaker, I thank you for that action, and say that Mike Kelly is someone in this House who has had friends across the chamber and is respected across this parliament. He served this nation in uniform in Somalia; in Eastern Europe, in the Middle East, including in Iraq; and in Timor-Leste. The fact is that he's had a tough time over many months—10 surgical procedures—as a result of the dehydration that occurred when he was serving his nation
People who serve their nation in uniform are all deserving of our respect. He went on to serve his nation in this parliament; to win a seat off the Liberal Party not once but twice is an extraordinary achievement. He tells me that no-one who has been the member for Eden-Monaro has ever given a valedictory in this House! He was able to leave at a time of his choosing—but not of his desire—for those health reasons. I'm sure I can speak on behalf of everyone in this chamber in saying that we wish him well. We hope that he is able to recover to the extent of at least stabilising his health issues. Eden-Monaro is a very big electorate which you have to travel largely by road. The medical advice, just before his resignation of course, was that he has been classified by the Department of Veterans' Affairs as having a permanent incapacity. He is someone who honoured this place with his presence. I regard him as a friend, and I wish him, Shelly and the family all the best into the future.
Mr BUCHHOLZ (Wright—Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport) (11:11): on indulgence—I speak on behalf of the government and in response to the resignation of the former member for Eden-Monaro. When most people tune in to watch the machinations of the parliament they see the gladiatorial combat of the arena. Beyond that visual aspect are some deep-seated friendships that are born, and often those friendships sit beyond opposite sides of the chamber. I think the member for Eden-Monaro first joined the parliament roughly around the same time that I did, some decade ago. He lost his seat, but was still a frequent figure around the parliament as he took on a position as a staffer. So the presence of the member for Eden-Monaro in Mike Kelly was often here—he was never too far away from this place. The reason that friendships blossom is because of a genuine affection for people with common interests. Mike was a genuine bloke and one who was easy to grow a friendship with.
The government offers its absolute regret at Mike's resignation. I think he was the first member for Eden-Monaro, which traditionally was a bellwether seat—whoever held Eden-Monaro would hold government—to buck that trend as the member for Eden-Monaro, and all credit to him. As for the friendships that exist with the other side of this chamber, thus was the relationship that he had with his electorate. The government wishes him every success with his endeavours into the future, and I look forward to his company after the chamber.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Bird ): I thank the Leader of the Opposition and the assistant minister. From the chair, I commend the comments of both on the announced retirement of Mike Kelly, former member for Eden-Monaro, and add my own recognition of his great personal friendship, which I've valued; his great commitment to his electorate, which his electorate valued; and his service to the nation, which the nation valued. I thank members for that expression.
BILLS
Defence Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2020
Second Reading
Consideration resumed of the motion:
That this bill be now read a second time.
Mr CONROY (Shortland) (11:14): It's fitting that the first bill that parliament will be debating after discussing the resignation of Mike Kelly is a bill around veterans. I, too, want to associate myself with the fine remarks from the Leader of the Opposition and the minister, the member for Wright. I think it is a testament to Mike's service to his nation that there was such uniformity in respect and affection for him, and, I too, want to join in wish him the best in the next stage of his life, given the fact that his parliamentary career was cut short, sadly, due to his military service.
I'm pleased to speak on the Defence Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2020. At the outset, Labor recognises the unique nature of military service, the sacrifice of current and former ADF members and their families, and the outstanding contribution they make to our nation. Our Defence personnel, veterans and their families often have complex needs and require special support, and the Australian community has an expectation they'll be looked after.
Labor joins with the government in continuing to support our former, current and future Defence personnel. To that end, this bill includes two measures. The first measure will open up the Australian Defence Force Superannuation Scheme, ADF Super, so that members who have left the ADF and who provided at least 12 months of service can continue to make contributions to the fund. ADF Super is the current default superannuation fund for new ADF members and for the new eligible ADF members who have elected ADF Super as their fund of choice.
Military superannuation is a vital component of our ability to attract and retain talented ADF personnel, so Labor was happy to support the scheme when it was established in 2015. ADF Super introduced greater flexibility and portability than was available under the Military Superannuation and Benefits Scheme, also known as the MSB Scheme or military super—the previous seem, which applied to serving members of the ADF.
Currently when a member of the ADF Super leaves the permanent forces they must change to a new superannuation fund. The purpose of the amendments in this bill is to make it absolutely clear that ADF members can choose to continue to contribute to ADF Super when they separate from the ADF. These changes will align ADF Super with superannuation arrangements available in broad industry and public sector superannuation schemes, including the Public Sector Superannuation accumulation plan. The amendments will also require ADF super to obtain relevant insurance products for scheme members who are no longer serving in the ADF. These changes will not affect existing arrangements for the other now closed military superannuation schemes, namely the MSB Scheme or the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme, DFRDB.
The second measure in the bill expands access to the Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme, DHOAS, for ex-ADF members or veterans after they've completed their service. Labor has always understood the importance of housing as a Defence recruitment and retention tool. The original Defence Home Owner Scheme, along with the establishment of Defence Housing Australia, were both Labor government initiates. DHOAS assists current and former ADF members and their families to own their own homes through access to housing and finance markets. At present, a former member must apply for a subsidy certificate within two years of leaving the ADF; although, there is discretion to extend this period if the member has a condition that led to their failure to apply for the subsidy within two years. The amendments will extend the time, after a member separates from the ADF, when they can apply for a subsidy certificate to five years. This will assist veterans transitioning to civilian life by giving them more time to look for suitable accommodation before applying and accessing their DHOAS and will allow veterans and their families to make the best choice for themselves. The intention is to ensure that all veterans will be able to carefully consider their options after leaving the ADF, without being rushed into purchasing a home for fear of losing their entitlement to their subsidy.
Labor has supported previous reforms to this scheme, and we will be supporting these improvements. Both measures in these bills are consistent with the broad aims of Project Suakin, an initiative of the former Labor government, but one which enjoys bipartisan support. This is about creating a more modern and flexible Defence workplace environment that reflects a mobile workforce and the changing circumstances and priorities of an individual ADF member's life over time. All up, these amendments will deliver better outcomes for our Defence personnel and veterans and their families, and Labor supports them.
While Labor supports this bill, I wish to take this opportunity to briefly raise our concerns with the government's failings in a number of areas affecting veterans. Firstly, while the measure on the ADF Super in this bill is to be commended, the same can't be said of the way the government has handled a number of other area of veteran superannuation and service pensions. Last year, just before the election, the government announced twin reviews into the commutation arrangements under the DFRDB I referred to earlier, as well as the above general rate component of the totally and permanently incapacitated, TPI, pension in response to longstanding concerns from the veterans community.
In December last year the Commonwealth Ombudsman released its inquiry into the DFRDB, which included the damning finding that some members had been given misleading and incorrect advice by Defence about their options under the scheme and this constituted defective administration. I'm pleased the government, through the Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel, and the Department of Defence apologised for the dodgy advice ADF personnel received and admitted this has caused a lot of confusion and distress for people over the years. However, the Ombudsman decided it was unlikely that members experienced a financial loss as a result of this bad advice and that therefore this did not warrant financial compensation. We know many veterans are unhappy with this finding and saw this as a cop-out. I understand a small number of veterans have applied for compensation through the government's Scheme for Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration, and Labor encourages all members who believe they've suffered financial loss to do so.
While Labor welcomed this inquiry, given the government announced it just before the election, we suspect it was just a cynical ploy to placate veterans before the election and kick the can down the road, hoping they wouldn't have to deal with the issue. Also, the government has shown bad faith with Australia's 28,000 TPI pensioners, with its review of the TPI pension or special rate of disability pension, which seems to have been quietly shelved. This review, conducted by David Tune in the Prime Minister's department, was another marketing exercise announced before the election. But we know from Senate estimates that the Prime Minister received the review in August last year and has been sitting on it ever since. This is an absolute disgrace and an insult to the 28,000 TPI veterans across the country who deserve to know the outcomes of this inquiry. The Prime Minister needs to release the Tune review and the government's response immediately.
Moving on, it must be said that the measures in this bill that help boost home ownership for current and ex-service personnel stand in stark contrast to the government's complete failure and inaction when it comes to the plight of homeless veterans.
As the shadow minister for veterans' affairs and defence personnel has mentioned previously a number of reports released last year revealed alarming levels of homelessness among veterans. For example, an Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute report showed veterans are almost three times as likely to experience homelessness as the general population with 5.3 per cent of veterans homeless in any 12-month period compared to the national average of 1.9 per cent. That is a disgrace, an absolute disgrace.
We've also seen previous figures that one in 10 people sleeping rough is a veteran, while RSL NSW have noticed a 25 per cent increase in the number of veterans seeking their help. This is an indictment on the way we treat struggling veterans, many of whom find themselves living in poverty. The current pandemic has only highlighted the fact that far too many people are falling through the cracks and support services are failing some of our most vulnerable people. Now, more than ever, people need access to secure accommodation in order to keep themselves and the community safe. All homelessness where it exists is a national shame, and the government needs to do more to tackle this crisis.
This leads me to the issue of the government support for veterans and their families during the current coronavirus. Labor welcomes the health and financial assistance that has been provided already in response to the COVID-19 health emergency, including taking up Labor's proposals around telehealth and mental health coverage. However, more needs to be done to assist veterans and the ex-service organisations that support them, particularly in the case of older and vulnerable veterans who may be self-isolating at home and at greater risk of experiencing loneliness. ESOs and health professionals have been telling us that they are seeing very high levels of demand for allied and mental health services at this time and that more resources are needed for frontline mental health and welfare services. Stakeholders have told us one of the best things the government could do here is urgently increase the Department of Veterans' Affairs fee schedules for health services, including psychologists and psychiatrists, to reduce the long wait times for veterans seeing mental health professionals.
It's concerning too that the government's stimulus packages have not included more substantial support for charities and organisations as this could affect many smaller ESOs and their volunteers. We know many RSL sub-branches rely on fundraising from selling badges and pins through annual Anzac Day appeals. With the cancellation of Anzac Day services this year, many have been struggling to generate the income to fund vital welfare and advocacy services for local veterans. Many of the RSL and service clubs who support these sub-branches and other charities financially have had to close their doors due to the pandemic, resulting in a significant loss of revenue and thousands of staff being stood down, furthering impacting services. My electorate of Shortland is no stranger to this crisis and the experience being suffered by RSL sub-branches and the RSL clubs that support them. On top of this, while changes to the threshold of JobKeeper payments for registered charities are welcome, this is no use to many small ESOs and RSL sub-branches, which are mostly volunteer run and don't qualify for the payment.
Even before the coronavirus emergency, there were a number of initiatives affecting the veteran community that were well behind schedule. Last year the minister committed to provide a response to the July 2019 Productivity Commission report on the veteran support system as soon as possible. He also committed to deliver a new Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and National Action Plan by the end of last year. Then there was the much vaunted announcement of a National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention. It's now May, and we've seen little or no progress on any of these fronts and no explanations for the delays. I remind the government they committed to deliver these initiatives well before the coronavirus started. All governments have a variety of responsibilities, and there is simply no excuse for further delay to these important announcements.
I can assure the House that Labor stands ready and willing to work with the government at this challenging time, but where there are gaps or where more needs to be done we'll continue to hold them to account and make constructive suggestions so we get the best possible care and support for veterans and their families. It was in this spirit that the shadow minister for veterans' affairs and defence personnel wrote to the minister to raise all these issues on 8 April—more than a month ago—but is yet to receive a reply. For the information of the House, I seek leave to table a copy of the letter the shadow minister sent to the minister.
Leave granted.
I thank the assistant minister. It is very disappointing that there has been no response, and I can only hope the minister will rectify this situation and respond as soon as possible.
So, in conclusion, we have a special obligation to help our veterans. We trained them. We asked them to put their lives at risk for us, and yet we find them sleeping rough and not receiving adequate support in their retirement. As I've said the government needs to do more to address a range of challenges affecting our service men and women, especially when it comes to superannuation, homelessness and mental health and wellbeing during the current coronavirus emergency and beyond. Notwithstanding this, the bill currently before the House will mean better outcomes for our Defence personnel and veterans and their families, and Labor supports it. I commend the bill.
Mr WALLACE (Fisher) (11:28): Serving your country in the Australian Defence Force is a great honour, but that honour comes at a cost. I think the retirement of the previous member for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly, has demonstrated that, and I want to join with speakers previously who have indicated their respect for Mike. The Australian Army values are courage, initiative, respect and teamwork. If you could sum up each of those four values into one word, it would be integrity. Mike Kelly, the former member for Eden-Monaro, demonstrates and encapsulates what it means to have integrity. There are probably not too many people that you could say that about in this place. Mike Kelly is a very good man, and I just want to acknowledge the service he has given to his country not just as an MP but to his country in uniform in places like East Timor, Somalia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Iraq. Mike finished his military career as a colonel and the director of the Australian army legal service. I wish him well and I wish his family well in his health recovery.
Thankfully only a small minority of those who serve in the ADF finish their service with injuries or worse. But all who have served in the ADF no doubt have made many sacrifices. During their service ADF personnel spend a great deal of time away from their homes and their families. Even when they're at home during their service they give up many choices and autonomy over where they live and their day-to-day lifestyles. Overseas the necessary privations can be much more severe.
The men and women of the ADF expect these sacrifices while they serve and they willingly accept them, but, unfortunately, in many cases veterans discover that even after leaving the Defence Force they still face challenges because of it. Transitioning ADF personnel have suffered disadvantages compared to their civilian counterparts in finding work, getting recognition for their prior learning, finding accommodation, gathering the references and documentation they need and reintegrating into their communities. The coalition government has worked hard since 2013 to improve these processes. We've instituted a policy of no discharge without documentation, for example. This ensures ADF members are prepared for civilian life and future employment with all the documents they need, including medical and training records, to make transition as seamless as possible.
To help further we've established individual professional career coaching for ADF members prior to, and up to 12 months following, separation from the ADF. We've delivered the Prime Minister's Veterans Employment Program to help veterans to identify employers who are likely to support them and give those employers awards for their commitment.
We've allocated more than $266 million to improving the systems of the Department of Veterans' Affairs and making it easier for veterans to get access to the services and information that they need. This is not to mention the additional funding the government has allocated to support veterans' higher education, mental health services and better access to rehabilitation.
Buying a house can be an important part of making this transition as successful as possible. Owning a home helps to embed all of us in a new community, as well as giving us greater financial security and a sense of belonging. This can be especially important for ADF veterans. That's why the Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme assists current and former ADF members and their families by providing subsidised home loans through three nominated providers. However, it can take some time for newly transitioned former ADF members to find a place in civilian life for themselves and their families. It's hard to lay down roots until you've made major life decisions, like what career to pursue, which community to live in and what your future will in fact hold. Those decisions take time and access to information, especially for individuals whose exit from the ADF was not voluntary. They are decisions which cannot always be made whilst still serving.
As it stands veterans are eligible to make an application for a subsidised loan under this scheme for two years after they have left the ADF. But I'm sure all of us here would appreciate how quickly two years can pass. Anyone who has transitioned from a normal life to a life in this place will know how quickly the first two years passes and how long it can take to make those adjustments. The experience for veterans is even more marked as they attempt to systematically rebuild each aspect of their lives in a totally new setting. I know that the minister has spoken to many veterans about this issue and I know that he has been listening. Two years is simply not enough. We want veterans to be able to consider their options carefully. We want them to make the best possible choices for themselves and their families in every aspect of their lives before making that commitment. We don't want them to feel rushed into making the biggest financial decision that they're likely to ever make simply because the deadline for a government scheme is arising. This scheme is supposed to help veterans transition, not force them into making hasty decisions.
Schedule 1 of this bill extends the time after a member separates from the ADF during which they can apply for a subsidy certificate for their housing loan to five years. Initially this change will only benefit around 100 ADF members, but in the future some 5,500 transitioning veterans will have access every year. This will do a lot to make sure that veterans have the time they need to reintegrate into the housing market and find their place in the civilian world.
However, this bill goes further. It will also make a major contribution to ensuring that our veterans are not disadvantaged in the further critical area of superannuation. As it stands, when a member leaves the ADF they lose the right to continue to contribute to the ADF superannuation scheme. Throughout most of civilian life, including now in the public service superannuation accumulation plan, when an employee moves jobs we allow them to continue to contribute to the same super account with their new employer. In fact, we actively encourage them to do so to avoid worsening the $20 billion problem of lost and unclaimed super. Not being able to keep contributing to their super account risks ADF veterans facing higher fees, unnecessary duplication of insurances and lower incomes in retirement. Schedule 2 of this bill will avoid these poor outcomes for veterans by guaranteeing that ADF members can choose to remain contributory members of the ADF superannuation scheme when they leave the ADF.
Under this bill, from 1 May 2020 if you've served at least 12 months in the ADF you'll be able to keep contributing to the ADF superannuation scheme for life. We know that ADF members appreciate their super fund. Since the government introduced it in 2016 97 per cent of new members have chosen it and the scheme is growing every year. The ADF superannuation scheme provides unique benefits to servicemen and women above and beyond strong returns, including automatic insurance benefits, despite their hazardous occupation. I have no doubt that, once this bill is passed, a great many will take up this new option. These improvements to legislation are only the latest in a comprehensive package of measures—led by the current Minister for Veterans' Affairs and his predecessors; the Minister for Education; and the Deputy Prime Minister—to support veterans as they transition from the ADF into civilian life. We've seen these impacts nationally, in programs as diverse as free and immediate mental health treatment for all veterans; the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention; individual professional career coaching; and new veterans wellbeing centres being built all over this country.
Locally, in my electorate of Fisher we've also seen the impact of the government's focus on improving outcomes for former service men and women in the now completed renovations to the Glasshouse Country RSL. As part of the 2019-20 federal budget, the Morrison government delivered a grant of some $258,000 to this critical sub-branch in my community. The Glasshouse Country RSL is the only sub-branch in the hinterland of my electorate, helping cater to a region with one of the largest populations of veterans in Australia. This government's funding allowed President Brian Machin, Deputy President Dave Siebrecht and their fellow members to undertake a transformative program of improvements. This included upgrades and new equipment for the bar and dining areas, increased space for military heritage displays, safety and security improvements throughout, and a redesigned office area. I was proud to have the opportunity to visit the site earlier this year, before the current crisis, to officially open the completed new facilities. The welfare benefits that these improvements will bring when the sub-branch reopens will obviously result in a greater quality of life for those members of the Glasshouse Country RSL. The familiar RSL building was already home to community groups like Probus and the Orchid Society, but, with these new first-class facilities, I know there will be many more locals knocking on their front door. I've been advocating strongly in Canberra for the funding of the RSL since the beginning of last year, and I'm grateful to the community for helping me by showing their support at every stage.
Whether it be in relation to mental and physical health, pensions, employment, recognition or remembrance, this government is fully committed to improving the lives of former ADF service men and women in this country. You can see that commitment in the record $11 billion we are investing in their care each and every year. This bill will make a further modest but very important contribution in the vital areas of accommodation and superannuation. I commend the bill to the House.
Mr GOSLING (Solomon) (11:40): At the heart of Australia's defence forces are the men and women who proudly wear the uniform, including my brother, who's serving in the Army in Timor-Leste at the moment. I send a cheerio to my brother Dan. Labor joins with the government in continuing to support all of our former and current defence personnel. In particular, I associate myself with the words that the Labor leader, the member for Grayndler, and the member for Wright said about my friend Mike Kelly, the former member for Eden-Monaro. Mike is a good man. Mike is a patriot and he will continue to work towards making our country more secure and more prosperous into the future. He's made a decision to do that outside of this place. I, for one, as a former serviceman, want to say thanks for your service, Mike. Thanks for your service in uniform and out of uniform, and I wish you well for the future, my friend.
Most of all, when it comes to looking after veterans, we're all in this together. We are supportive of the measures in the Defence Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2020 because they will support our serving people. Transitioning out of the forces is a difficult time, and these superannuation and DHOAS, defence housing measures, will certainly aid in that transition. It will open up the superannuation scheme, ADF Super, so that ADF Super members who have left the ADF, if they have served for at least 12 months, can continue to use that super fund. We've all had that experience of trying to consolidate super funds. This will make it much easier for our serving people.
The purpose of the amendments in this bill is to make it absolutely clear that ADF members can choose to remain contributory members of ADF Super when they separate from the ADF. This change will be implemented through changes to the ADF Super trust deed which will take effect from 1 May 2020. I note the member for Shortland's comments about DFRDB and some of the issues there that we would like the government to have another look at. But this super change is a good one. When it comes to DHOAS, I know it has helped a lot of members of the Defence Force get into home ownership. This second measure in the bill expands access to DHOAS for members and veterans after they've completed their service. As I said, the transitionary period is an uncertain time. While former serving people may think they've stitched up some employment somewhere, that might change. Their family circumstances may change. So extending to five years the eligibility of those members is a very good thing. It will allow them to transition, to settle and to work out where they want to make that home ownership a reality, and it will allow the scheme to assist them and their family. The current two-year limitation is not always enough time to enable veterans and their families to make the best choices, so I support this measure.
As I said, transition to civilian life after the military can be quite difficult. I want to acknowledge the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, who is with us in the chamber, and the $5 million commitment to a wellbeing centre for Darwin and Palmerston. One of the things that centre will be able to do is assist members—whilst they're serving, as they transition and after they've completed their last day in uniform—to understand these bills and their effect on the policies of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. It will help with referrals to medical centres. It will provide information. It will connect people. It will provide a focus for our Top End community—a garrison town, as most members would know—to get the information that they need to access the support they need to make sure they are well and their families are well. I want to acknowledge that support, because we can't just hope that information on these changes to DHOAS and super is relayed to the soldier contemplating life after service; we need to be active. Through somewhere like the Darwin veteran wellbeing centre, that information will be imparted in a clear, supportive way, as will the range of services available to that young Australian.
I said that we and the government mostly see eye to eye. I want to draw the House's attention to something I learned overnight. A young Tasmanian man who signed up to serve our nation in World War II was in a naval vessel, HMAS Armidale, in the Timor Sea, north of Darwin. They were in the fight of their lives. Japanese aircraft were strafing the Armidale and had delivered bombs that would see the it go to the bottom of the Timor Sea. Teddy Sheean's mate was in the water. Teddy was wounded. He got up onto the deck of the Armidale and strapped himself into the gun. As the Japanese were flying overhead, firing at the Armidale and firing at his mates in the water, Teddy Sheean strapped himself into the gun and started taking down Japanese aircraft that were trying to kill his mates in the water. Teddy Sheean took his last breath and went down with the Armidale. Teddy Sheean, an 18-year-old young man from Tasmania, has a couple of times been considered by the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal for the Victoria Cross. The honours and awards appeals tribunal has recommended that the government recommend to the sovereign that Teddy Sheean be awarded the Victoria Cross.
I remember the first time that I saw the famous painting of Teddy Sheean strapped into the gun, fighting with his last breath to protect his mates. I was in the War Memorial. I'll never forget it, because what it said to me very clearly was that that young Tasmanian serviceman, 18 years old, was prepared to go down with the ship to protect his mates in the water. The appeals tribunal has recommended that Teddy Sheean receive the Victoria Cross. He quite literally gave his life for his mates. But the government, for whatever reason, has said no. Teddy Sheean gave his life, at 18 years of age, to save his mates but doesn't get a Victoria Cross. I would like to hear from the Prime Minister why that is so. Would it be any different if he had been from Sydney? He was from Tasmania. Would it be any different if he'd had a parent who was connected? Would it be any different if that young man had had a different upbringing, in a different place, in a different time? I think it's shameful that the government has decided Teddy Sheean should not receive the Victoria Cross, and I ask the Prime Minister to explain why that is the case.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the work of the Tasmanians—on both sides; it has bipartisan support—in the campaign to get Teddy Sheean properly recognised. I acknowledge Brian Mitchell, the member for Lyons, but, in a truly bipartisan way, I also want to acknowledge someone who is a former senator in the other place, the former Liberal senator Guy Barnett, for the work that he has done to get Teddy properly recognised. I hope all of that work doesn't go to waste and is not ignored, because this is an important issue. Let's think about those that we honour, and Teddy Sheean was certainly someone who deserved that honour.
Mr CHESTER (Gippsland—Deputy Leader of the House, Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (11:51): Following the comments of the member for Solomon, I think I should just acknowledge for the record, in relation to Ordinary Seaman Edward (Teddy) Sheean, that while there may be some debate about the level of medallic recognition there is no debate whatsoever that Teddy Sheean is a Tasmanian hero, an Australian hero, and his service to our nation was extraordinary.
In that same vein, I want to acknowledge—as have the previous speakers, the member for Shortland, the member for Solomon and the member for Fisher—the service to this place of the member for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly. He served our nation with distinction in two areas. He served as a member of the Australian Defence Force and also as a member of this place, and I regard him as a friend and an MP who just wanted to get stuff done while he was in this place. He goes with our best wishes, and we wish him good health for the future.
In summing up on the Defence Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2020 I'd like to acknowledge again all those members who spoke and the continued tradition of bipartisan support for the veteran community that has been demonstrated by those on this side of the House and those opposite. This government is absolutely committed to putting Australian Defence Force personnel, veterans and their families first, and one of our priorities is to ensure that our ADF personnel are appropriately supported when they transition back to civilian life. Over successive terms of government we have greatly improved the transition process for Australian Defence Force members.
Defence now takes a needs based approach to transition for the approximately 5½ thousand Australian Defence Force members who leave each year, including employment support for up to 12 months. We have progressed the Prime Minister's Veterans Employment Program, which now includes employee and employer information and a commitment from Australian businesses to hire veterans. We have delivered on our election commitment of providing $15 million for innovative programs to assist veterans to find meaningful employment. These programs will be delivered by Soldier On, Team Rubicon and the Returned and Services League of Australia.
All transitioning members automatically receive a DVA White Card, which provides free treatment for any mental health condition regardless of whether or not that condition was sustained in service. And Defence now provides career coaching and career planning, skills recognition, resume preparation, job search programs and financial literacy education. This includes tailored assistance to gain civilian employment for complex transitions through the Transition for Employment program. As a government we are also focused on ensuring that those at risk are well supported in the transition process.
I'd like to stress that, for the overwhelming majority of men and women who serve our nation in uniform, their service is an experience that leads them to the skills that assist them later in life—leadership skills, teamwork and resilience. But for some the transition process can be difficult. Earlier this year we announced an investment of $4.8 million for additional case coordinators to improve wellbeing outcomes for young and vulnerable veterans leaving the ADF in complex mental, physical, emotional and social circumstances. This will ensure that they are provided with comprehensive early-intervention support, which we know is critical to preventing worsening mental health conditions.
We also announced that the resources of the personalised career employment program will be boosted by $5.6 million. This will expand its eligibility each year to another 1,600 ADF members who are looking for career development and job placement support as they set up for civilian life. This will support early leavers from the Australian Defence Force between the ages of 17 and 30 who have served less than four years, providing them with greater opportunity for job placement within the civilian community.
These are just some of our government's achievements, and this bill further demonstrates our commitment to put veterans and their families first and to assist those transitioning from military to civilian life. As announced at the election, this bill will amend the Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme Act 2008 and the Australian Defence Force Superannuation Act 2015. The Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme assists current and former ADF members and their families to achieve home ownership. It recognises the additional difficulties that ADF members and their families have in purchasing a home because of the nature of their service.
As the member for Fisher outlined, under the current arrangements a veteran generally has access to the scheme within two years of leaving the ADF. We recognise that transition from the ADF can be a time of significant change for many and that more time to make such an important financial decision may be required in some cases. While there is discretion to extend the two-year period in certain limited circumstances, the amendments in this bill will extend the time to apply for a subsidy certificate to five years after an ADF member has transitioned. And I agree with the member for Fisher that it is a sensible change which I think will benefit veterans in his community as well as right across Australia. This change seeks to ensure that veterans and their families carefully consider their options after leaving the ADF without being rushed into purchasing a home for fear of losing their entitlement to the subsidy. We expect that some 5½ thousand ADF members who leave each year will benefit from these changes.
The bill will also amend the Australian Defence Force Superannuation Act 2015 to clarify that when an ADF member transitions to civilian life they can continue to make contributions to the ADF's super account. Currently when a member of ADF Super leaves the permanent forces they must change to a new superannuation fund. This bill will clarify that ADF Super members who have left the ADF and who provide continuous full-time service for an uninterrupted period of at least 12 months can continue to make contributions to ADF Super. This is consistent with similar changes that have been made to the Public Sector Superannuation Accumulation Plan for Australian government employees. These changes will not affect the existing arrangements for the other now-closed military superannuation schemes. This change will be implemented through changes to the ADF Super trust deed. Minor consequential amendments will be made to the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 to require ADF Super to obtain relevant insurance products for ADF Super members who are no longer serving.
This bill moves to make some small, but we believe significant, changes to Defence legislation that will benefit veterans and their families now and into the future. I commend this bill.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Bird ): The question is that the bill be now read a second time.
Question agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation for the bill announced.
Third Reading
Mr CHESTER (Gippsland—Deputy Leader of the House, Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (11:59): by leave—I move:
That this bill be now read a third time.
Question agreed to.
Bill read a third time.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
Australian Natural Disasters
Mr LITTLEPROUD (Maranoa—Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management and Deputy Leader of the National Party) (11:59): by leave—I rise to speak on the bushfire recovery and our response to the drought.
Update on Bushfire Recovery and Drought Response
We have gathered together this week, as the elected representatives of a great, proud nation, at a time when coronavirus continues to change the world in ways that were unimaginable mere months ago. Yet here, in Australia, we have a proud tradition of dealing with, and making the best of, unprecedented challenges. The Australian government has continued to work, to ensure that where possible it is business as usual, to ensure that we can meet the demands thrust upon us by coronavirus, and to ensure that we all get through this—together.
Madam Deputy Speaker Bird, as you know, in my portfolio I have responsibility for both drought—the crippling drought, which in some parts of Australia is in its seventh year—and emergency management. Despite the challenges of recent times, few Australians would be able to forget living through, or seeing on their screens, the ferocious flames of the 'black summer'.
So today, I rise to address all Australians about how we, as a nation, are recovering from a devastating bushfire season and continuing to deal with one of the worst droughts in living memory.
Australia's 2019-20 bushfire season, our 'black summer' ended just over a month ago. We will continue to feel the toll of all that was lost for some time to come.
Tragically, 33 members of the Australian community—including nine firefighters, three from America whom we proudly recognise as our own—lost their lives. Our thoughts remain with their families, friends and broader communities.
Across the country, we lost over 12 million hectares of land, 3,000 homes, and over 7,000 facilities and outbuildings, and masses of native flora and fauna perished.
And of course, for several years before these disastrous fires, numerous regional towns and communities across the country have been battling enduring drought which has been just as, if not more, devastating to our regions—albeit through a long, slow and painful multitude of years, as opposed to the fierce intensity of the bushfires.
Although we have recently seen some good rainfall bring hope to some, there are still many parts of the nation who have had little or no rain at all.
The road to recovery for many communities continues to be a long one, especially for those communities that have been hit doubly hard by drought and fires.
Communities and primary producers across an enormous tract of northern Queensland have been recovering from devastating damage and losses caused by widespread torrential flooding associated with the February 2019 monsoon trough.
The reality is that communities across the country are impacted uniquely by drought and natural disaster, and they are all at different points in their response and recovery journeys.
As if that wasn't hard enough, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up new challenges for those same communities, and for us all.
What we have seen throughout all of these challenges has been an unwavering Australian spirit.
We see that spirit every day in the work of our emergency services workers, farmers and primary producers, teachers, doctors and nurses, mental health workers and charities, just to name a few.
I want to make it clear that through these challenges, the government is continuing its commitment to supporting drought and fire affected communities, and will stand shoulder to shoulder with them until the job is done.
As many of my colleagues have outlined, the government is working quickly to support Australians dealing with lost jobs, lost businesses and lost profits because of this pandemic. But we will not forget those battling with drought and those recovering from natural disasters.
I acknowledge the work that went into preparing for last bushfire and disaster season.
Emergency Management Australia, EMA, part of the Department of Home Affairs, engaged year-round with all states and territories to equip them with the latest forecast insights, maintain the emergency alert messaging capability and refine the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
In recent years the government has provided additional funding to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre of $11 million to supplement our ongoing support to the aerial firefighting fleet. Last fire season we contributed an extra $20 million, to take the total to $46 million, in recognition of the resources needed to combat the widespread and severe 'black summer' bushfires. I am happy to announce today an extra $11 million in annual Australian government funding. This will bring the government's total annual funding contribution to aerial firefighting to $26 million, which will be indexed into the future to provide certainty for those critical frontline resources.
The responsibility for being prepared doesn't just rest with governments. We are working more closely than ever with industry sectors—power, water, food and groceries, telecommunications, transport and logistics—each of which have critical functions to sustain during a crisis.
In the midst of the bushfire crisis, we established the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and committed a $2 billion fund to kick-start the road to recovery for those affected. We have already spent more than the first $500 million that was allocated to us this financial year from that $2 billion fund, and by the end of June we expect that we will have spent close to $1 billion.
Together with the National Bushfire Recovery Agency, we announced on Mondayover $650 million in local recovery and development measures, as well as building resilience to future disasters.
This funding will help regenerate landscapes and species, improve telecommunications capabilities during disasters and ensure communities can access critical mental health support.
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, the agency is working with all levels of government, local communities, industry, businesses and charities to make sure the help gets to where it is needed.
At the recent Council of Australian Governments meeting, all leaders agreed to review and if necessary update how governments apply the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
This is a timely development in the history of these arrangements as we experience more destructive disaster seasons.
Every step of the way, the National Bushfire Recovery Agency has been working with the relevant state and territory governments to make it easier for people to receive assistance.
And it, crucially, has been listening to locals on the ground. We are engaging affected communities, and have responded to changing conditions and the needs of individuals, local governments and communities.
We reacted quickly to streamline and simplify application processes, while making sure that communities are built back better for the long term, and there is an even playing field where affected Australians are treated consistently and fairly.
As of yesterday, 13 May 2020:
more than $271 million in disaster recovery payments, allowances and back-to-school payments has been provided, helping over 277,000 claimants;
over 17,500 applications for the $10,000 small business support grant, and over 1,400 small business recovery grant applications, have been approved—that's over $215 million provided to small businesses to date;
over $108.2 million in grants have been approved to over 1,700 primary producers; and
288 applicants have secured around $17 million in concessional loans.
I encourage anyone who thinks they may be eligible for assistance to contact Services Australia, or their state or territory government.
We understand that not all communities are at the same point in their recovery journey; some are starting to consider longer term planning.
Additional medium and long-term recovery needs will be considered by the government as part of October's budget process so we can be ready to support them with opportunities to rebuild.
I am a passionate believer that investment in critical mental health services will support the individuals that form the social fabric of our communities.
The Australian government is backing primary health networks with additional funding over two years to provide critical, localised mental health support for bushfire affected victims.
The measures I have mentioned are just a snapshot.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working with the National Bushfire Recovery Agency to press forward on responding to community recovery needs with greater flexibility and speed.
Unfortunately, in these extraordinary times, it can feel like issues important to regional and rural communities have taken a back seat. That is not the case.
I want to reassure people that we are here. We are working for you. We haven't stopped. And we won't stop.
I've said this many times before, and I don't care if I sound like a broken record—strong regional economies benefit all Australians. They are the lifeblood of this nation.
We have seen throughout this pandemic that our farmers have continued to provide the country with good food and produce, and they have reassured their fellow Australians that they can supply more food than we, as a nation, need.
Australians can rest assured that we will always eat well, thanks to our farmers and the communities that support them. I also want to acknowledge the work done by the government to ensure drought assistance is being delivered where it is needed most.
The Australian government has consistently scaled up that assistance in response to worsening conditions.
We have committed over $8 billion in assistance and concessional loans to help individuals, businesses and communities through this current drought and prepare for future challenges.
Since the election, the government has committed more than $1 billion in grants and payments to support drought affected farmers, businesses and communities.
This includes support provided to people through the farm household allowance, which gives farming families the assistance they need to put food on the kitchen table, and additional funding for the highly popular $3,000 cash payments for farmers, farm workers and farm suppliers in hardship. I commend the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul Society for their assistance in delivering these cash payments to those in need.
In November, we announced a further $709 million package which has gone towards better regional roads, greater support for councils, a drought focused round of the Building Better Regions Fund, and helping country kids stay at school and in child care. The Regional Investment Corporation continues to roll out concessional loan assistance to farm businesses and eligible small businesses, giving them the capital they need to work through this drought or to start their recovery.
There should be no doubt—we are taking the effects of this drought very seriously.
The national drought and flood agency has consulted with drought affected communities across the country to see how they are coping with the long-term impacts of drought and the now the COVID-19 pandemic.
The agency is putting in place eighteen regional recovery officers across the country to ensure we understand the local challenges and issues and can work with communities on the best solutions for them.
This team is made up of livestock farmers, experienced farm workers, beef producers and even a former regional mayor—they understand from their own experiences what the opportunities and challenges are for regional and remote communities battling through drought.
The agency will be conducting community outreach activities to help communicate what government assistance is available for drought affected communities—because what has been made very apparent throughout this drought is that clear communication on how people can get help is just as important as the assistance itself. As part of these activities, Rotary will distribute $500 vouchers to help locals buy everyday essentials from local businesses
While we meet immediate needs, we have our eye on helping farmers into the future as we plan their recovery and prepare themselves for the next drought.
As part of our commitment to long-term drought assistance, we are making available from 1 July the first $100 million of the $5 billion Future Drought Fund program, which will provide secure, continuous funding to build resilient communities into the future.
The agency is also leading the ongoing North Queensland flood recovery, working extensively on the ground and across government agencies to implement a long-term recovery and preparedness strategy.
As at the end of April this year, around $655 million has been paid directly to individuals, businesses, communities, local and state governments as part of the government's North Queensland flood recovery package. Almost $47 million in grants has been approved to go towards restocking, replanting and on-farm infrastructure, to help our primary producers get back to business.
The Australian government will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with regional communities on this journey, and we will work together to ensure that the assistance being provided is hitting the mark.
While the government and the nation are rightfully occupied with responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, I would assure Australians affected by fire, flood and drought that we are working for you, and we will not stop working for you.
Short-, medium- and long-term responses and recovery to these challenges remain our priority, as they were before the pandemic set in.
We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the challenges that future disasters and drought will inevitably bring.
There is a lot of very important work happening now to prepare Australians to face future threats to our lives and livelihoods with greater resilience.
Emergency Management Australia is spearheading the implementation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework to reduce the risk and impact of disasters on Australians.
This provides an important opportunity for governments, industry and community players to come together and address the mutual challenge of accelerating disaster risk reduction efforts.
All of us will be accountable through the National Action Plan to ensure we stay on track to address the priorities and meet the outcomes in the framework.
Research is the foundation to better understanding Australia's evolving risks and vulnerabilities, including those associated with climate. We need rich and relevant research to drive our risk reduction and resilience-building efforts, and the government, through Emergency Management Australia, is committed to securing it.
The recent pilot of a national disaster risk information capability lays the pathway towards combining expertise from across government, academia and the private sector to help the government make timely, appropriate decisions during disasters.
Our drought measures like the Future Drought Fund will help farmers and regional communities to build resilience into the future. And the national drought and flood agency will continue to listen to drought affected communities and make sure they know what support is available.
Australians will always face the possibility of catastrophic natural disasters in the form of bushfires, cyclones, and floods. And drought will remain a key feature of our landscape.
Through some of the toughest times in recent memory, this government has shown the will and the capacity to adapt our ways of working and getting on with the job of supporting affected communities to get back on their feet.
Despite the challenges thrown at us by drought, bushfires, storms, floods and now the COVID-19 pandemic, Australians can be assured that this government, your government, is standing firm with you on the long and challenging road to recovery, and that together we will get through this.
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the Opposition) (12:13): I'm pleased to respond to the ministerial statement on behalf of the Australian Labor Party. Over the past 12 months, Australians have witnessed the wrath of mother nature: extreme drought, catastrophic bushfires and then the arrival on our shores of COVID-19. All three have been particularly challenging for our regional communities. During these national emergencies, Labor has acted in the national interest. We have been constructive. We have put forward ideas. I have engaged directly with the minister on these challenges. But we have had some differences and we have pointed them out as well, and we'll continue to try to improve the government's response because improvement is needed.
With the drought, what began as a crisis for our farmers quickly became a crisis for many rural and regional towns running out of water. It also became a threat to our nation's food security. At the Bush Summit held in Dubbo last July, I offered Labor's support for drought funding for communities suffering from the devastating impact of the disaster. I did it on the spot, as the minister well knows. The Prime Minister pretended he hadn't heard or seen that happen at that time. I spoke of the tragic human consequences and praised the resilience of our farmers. I pointed to the need to respond to the science of climate change, to better manage water and provide both short-term assistance and a long-term drought strategy.
In October I wrote to the Prime Minister proposing a special drought cabinet to get bipartisan support as a vehicle for progressing the joint effort, working together to foster consensus around the drought responses most likely to deliver success and value for taxpayers' money. My colleague the member for Hunter has led Labor's response on these issues. That idea, of a bipartisan approach, was of course rejected, and the Prime Minister chose to double down on politics instead. He created a new drought fund, but the funding wasn't new. The funding was taken, rather than being new and additional support, from the Building Australia Fund, the very fund that builds infrastructure in regional New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. It was taken from one fund to another. And, as of today, not a single cent has been spent from that fund, not a dollar. And in the minister's statement today, he announced that $100 million will flow from next financial year. But the money was there—from memory, it was around $3.9 billion. So he took $3.9 billion out of a fund, created another fund, pretended it was new, gave it a different name and then just left it there in consolidated revenue. Then we're meant to say that $100 million next financial year is enough. It's not good enough.
By the middle of November last year, the fire situation was catastrophic. It had gone—I'd already visited northern New South Wales. I'd visited Queensland. I'd visited parts of our great country that were burning. And it was clear that there were multiple warnings about the extent to which this would be a bushfire season like we had not seen in our lifetime. And indeed that occurred. The warnings were there. The experts, the former firefighting chiefs, couldn't even get in to see the Prime Minister with these warnings. The government was complacent in spite of those warnings.
The tragedy that occurred over the summer, with 33 deaths, with nine firefighters losing their lives, including three brave Americans who came to help us here in Australia, was tragic. Some 3,000 homes were lost and hectares were lost around the country in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. But the whole country really impacted in WA. The whole country was impacted by the smoke. I don't think any one of our generation who saw the photos and the videos of those kids and families on the beach in Victoria or New South Wales will ever forget that. It shook this country to its core, and it did shake the government out of some of its complacency.
Greg Mullins, the former head of New South Wales Fire and Rescue, wrote to the Prime Minister in April, May and September, and he still hadn't had a meeting at the point. I notice today that the government is announcing increased funding for aerial firefighting. That's a good thing. I wrote to the government in November last year, calling for just that. Labor went to the election in May last year calling for just that and committing to just that. It didn't come from nowhere; it came from a request from the National Aerial Firefighting Centre, which provided a business case in December 2017. But there was no response: no response during the fire crisis; no response in January, February, March or April; and no response until today. I wonder what's happened. What's changed between then and now?
Mike Kelly has resigned as the member for Eden-Monaro. We now have ministerial statements. We now have funding for aerial firefighting. We now have a change in attitude. I've spent a bit of time in that electorate in the last few weeks but beforehand as well. I was on the ground, as the minister knows, in areas affected by fires. I did press conferences on Christmas Day and every day over December and January, talking with communities. I say that a couple of weeks ago on the day when the Deputy Premier of New South Wales was still a candidate for pre-selection for Eden-Monaro temporary accommodation pods arrived with cameras, when people had been living, and continue to live, on their land without any houses, in caravans, in temporary accommodation, as it gets colder, over this season. People were very right to be cynical was the feedback I got when I was in Merimbula, when I was in Bega, when I was in Cooma and when I was in Murrumbateman with Kristy McBain, our candidate for Eden-Monaro—a candidate who was with her community each and every day; a candidate who no-one ever rejected the opportunity to shake her hand and say thank you; and a candidate who wants to enter this place to carry on the tradition, which Mike Kelly created, of standing up for her community.
These communities and the communities of East Gippsland, of Kangaroo Island, of the Adelaide Hills, of the North Coast of New South Wales, the communities around the Blue Mountains, which I visited with the member for Macquarie, and the communities further up the coast, which the member for Gilmore and I have visited and spoken with—so many of those communities feel like they've been forgotten. When the television cameras left, so did a lot of the political support, and they deserve better than that.
During the coronavirus crisis, the entire Australian community has shown remarkable commitment and courage. People have stayed at home in order to help their fellow Australians. But, during the bushfire crisis, people were doing something else. Volunteers weren't just passively retreating from activity in order to protect their fellow Australians. These volunteers were running into danger to protect their fellow Australians. I'll never forget having breakfast in Bilpin and talking to the people there who'd been up on the North Coast and up in Tenterfield. They'd been fighting fires for such a long period of time. I will never forget being in the Adelaide Hills in the electorate of the member for Mayo. The fires there had devastated those communities for three weeks. Those fires had started on the North Coast of New South Wales as well. The people there moved down and helped out in the Blue Mountains, and they just kept going. These remarkable Australians cannot afford to be forgotten.
In terms of the government, one of the times I met Kristy McBain and thought she was pretty impressive was when she came here, along with every mayor from the Canberra Region Joint Organisation of councils, which includes every council in the Eden-Monaro electorate, from East Gippsland in Victoria all the way to Goulburn. They couldn't get a meeting with the Prime Minister. It was after the focus and the spotlight had gone off. I thought that Kristy McBain was pretty impressive in that meeting. She impressed me. That is one of the memories I have that encouraged me to very much encourage her to take the next step, that step up. She was a leader of her community. She was able to advocate in a passionate and articulate way what the needs of that community were. But, in spite of their visit here, all of those mayors—I don't think any of them were Labor Party members at that time—told me that they had received support of $1 million per council. Despite the pressure those councils were under, that was the drought relief for the people on the ground.
The area from Batemans Bay in the electorate of Gilmore, down further south, around Merimbula, around the beautiful beaches of the South Coast, as well as the areas around the Snowy, rely upon tourism as a major industry. Agriculture around Batlow and other areas has been devastated. The wineries of South Australia and the wineries around the Canberra region have been devastated. What they really needed was tourism support, but the tourism money that had been allocated in response to the bushfires was taken off them and sent interstate to areas impacted by the coronavirus. Again, rather than there being additional expenditure, that's what occurred. We are a better nation than one that takes money off communities while they're trying to recover from a crisis. Whilst many of those communities could have expected an influx of visitors and economic activity and a bit of a bounce back from the bushfire crisis, they were then hit by the coronavirus. So, it's a triple whammy.
These people do feel forgotten, so it's a good thing, to be frank, that the government has remembered them. But we need to remember them every day, in every place—not just as a matter of politics but as a matter of humanity. That is the opposition's approach to these issues. We'll continue to advocate strongly. I look forward to having Kristy McBain in this chamber to advocate strongly on behalf of those communities that have been impacted.
Debate adjourned.
BILLS
Privacy Amendment (Public Health Contact Information) Bill 2020
Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Emergency Leave) Bill 2020
Returned from Senate
Messages received from the Senate returning the bills without amendment.
Health Insurance Amendment (General Practitioners and Quality Assurance) Bill 2020
Second Reading
Consideration resumed of the motion:
That this bill be now read a second time.
Mr BOWEN (McMahon) (12:28): The Labor Party will be supporting the Health Insurance Amendment (General Practitioners and Quality Assurance) Bill 2020. It changes the registration of general practitioners—and the whole House will join me in thanking Australia's doctors and medical profession, and general practitioners in particular, for the role they are playing as we deal with the COVID-19 crisis. This bill amends the Health Insurance Act 1973 to simplify the administration of higher Medicare payments for some GPs. This is very sensible streamlining. GPs are eligible for higher Medicare rebates if they are fellows of Royal Australian College of General Practitioners or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and meet ongoing, continuing professional development requirements.
The current system is quite shambolic, to be honest. It requires two different systems: the current system for determining eligibility for those higher rebates as administered by Services Australia, and it duplicates the separate requirements of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. So this bill removes the requirement for eligible GPs to register with Services Australia and, instead, ties eligibility for higher Medicare rebates to the existing scheme. This is how the eligibility for other specialist rebates is already determined and it will reduce red tape for general practice, colleges and Services Australia. It reduces red tape all around. It is a sensible change. Hence, Labor will support this bill.
I will, however, be moving a second reading amendment which notes the things that the Labor Party does not support and some things that the Labor Party is concerned about. I talk, in particular, of the impact of the government's changes in relation to general practice in regional Australia and outer metropolitan Australia. These are changes which the government has undertaken and, despite the Minister for Regional Health's assertion, which did not require legislation and did not have the support of the Labor Party. He misled the House at one point to assert this. These are changes which have been done administratively.
The Stronger Rural Health Strategy is one with fine ambitions, and we support those ambitions. It has been very important to me in my time as shadow health minister to highlight and focus on rural health disparities and the shortage of medical health professionals and allied health care professionals in rural Australia. It is one thing to support the intent of the strategy, but the way the government is going about it has had intended or unintended consequences in other areas.
The first is to change Medicare bulk-billing incentives. GPs are paid additional incentives when they bulk-bill children and concessional cardholders. These are higher in rural areas than cities to encourage GPs to practice in the bush. But, under government changes to how rural areas are defined, many areas have lost access to these higher incentives and have been moved to lower metropolitan incentives. The government initially claimed that there were just 14 areas that had been affected, but we know through Senate estimates that 433 areas have seen cuts. I have been in electorates and communities which have received these cuts and the local member has been unaware because the government had not been transparent about it. These general practitioners have seen a reduction of 34 per cent in their incentive payments from $9.65 to $6.40.
GPs in places like Queanbeyan have seen those incentives slashed. Queanbeyan is not a major metropolitan centre; it is a regional centre and an important centre. It is not the middle of Sydney or Melbourne, and we need incentives for GPs to work in Queanbeyan. But this government has reduced the incentives there, and I think the government might be hearing a bit more about that in the coming weeks and months. It might find that it will be held to account for its decision to do that.
The second change is to the longstanding District of Workforce Shortage system. Doctors who've trained overseas or in a bonded position in Australia can only claim Medicare benefits for a time in defined rural areas. The government's changed the system for defining those areas to a new Distribution Priority Area system. The old system wasn't perfect, and I was open to a conversation about sensible changes. I looked at the government's changes and looked at them in good faith. I welcome the fact that the new system does take into account an area's socioeconomic status. That is a good thing. It shouldn't just be based on non-economic criteria. Areas that are doing it tough do deserve special consideration. That is one element I looked at favourably. But, again, the change is having consequences which I can only assume are unintended. I can't actually bring myself to believe that the government intended the consequences that some of these changes are having.
For example, Yass struggled to attract and retain doctors even when it was under the District of Workforce Shortage, and it will be tougher now that it's not in the DPA. I suspect the government will be hearing more about the impact on Yass as well in coming weeks because they have neglected the people of Yass and the medical care of the people of Yass. It's just one of 250 regional and outer metropolitan areas around the country that have been negatively affected. This impacts regional areas and outer metropolitan areas. This is a matter that I know my friend and colleague the member for Macarthur is deeply concerned about as a medical practitioner and as representative of outer metropolitan Sydney, as I am. I have experienced difficulty in attracting general practitioners to my electorate, which is not remote. It is not really regional. It is in the western suburbs of Sydney. Even those areas have trouble attracting doctors, as does the area represented by the member for Macarthur and as do areas represented by other members in this place. We know that outer metropolitan areas need more doctors, not fewer doctors. We suffer health disparities as well, we suffer high rates of diabetes, we suffer high rates of obesity and we suffer strong levels of co-morbidity. If the government think that reducing doctors in outer metropolitan Australia is a good idea, we will beg to differ.
The third change is the abolition of the Rural Other Medical Practitioners, or ROMPs, program. This is having a severe impact as well. Just before we stopped travelling and started to stay closer to home in recent times, the last interstate trip I undertook was to Maryborough in Queensland. It's a fine place. It's the birthplace of the author of Mary Poppins, who's justly and quite properly celebrated in Maryborough. I visited a general practice and I visited a former general practice where the sign on the door doesn't have the opening hours of the general practice; it says 'for lease'. 'The practice closed due to changes made by the federal government' is what the sign says on the door at Maryborough. That is the impact of this government's changes. Again, Maryborough is not a thriving metropolis. It is a great place, a lovely town and an important home for many people. It was home to an important children's author. But it is not the centre of Sydney or Melbourne. Yet the government's changes—and this isn't a tweak; this isn't an adjustment; this isn't a policy criteria change—have abolished the ROMPs program completely. Under the ROMPs program, less-qualified GPs were paid higher rebates if they practised in rural or regional Australia. It was a popular program because it had the objective of providing incentives to attract doctors to places like Maryborough, and the government have simply abolished the program in an attempt, they say, to improve rural and regional GP quality.
We all want to see highly qualified doctors in rural and regional Australia, but I would also just like to see some doctors in rural and regional Australia. If the impact of their change is not to attract more highly qualified doctors into places like Maryborough but to see doctor's surgeries close then I say to the government: 'Have a rethink, because the evidence is in. We know how your scheme is working, and it's not working well.' The impact on places like Maryborough has been duplicated across the country. We've seen that time and time again, and I'm not talking from a briefing note and I'm not talking from some sort of study; I'm talking from having been to Maryborough and sat down with the doctors in Maryborough and surrounding areas. I've been to the clinics which have closed. I've looked at the waiting rooms in Maryborough and seen them overflowing. I asked one of the doctors, 'If I were a Maryborough resident and I rang up and asked for an appointment to see a doctor today, how long would it be before I could see that doctor?' You would hope that the doctor would have said to me, 'Well, you could be seen later in the day, or maybe tomorrow.' The answer was two weeks! A two-week waiting period to see a doctor!
Dr Freelander interjecting—
Mr BOWEN: As the member for Macarthur points out—I think I heard him correctly—they aren't ringing for fun! They're not ringing because they want to have a chat! They're ringing because they are sick. And in two weeks time either they'll have got better, just through the effluxion of time, or they will have got a lot worse—and often the latter. That's why you need to see a doctor and, usually, you need to see a doctor more quickly than in two weeks time. Occasionally that might be okay—you might just have their annual check-up or there might be something which is not an urgent matter—but on most occasions people want to see their doctor that day, or certainly in a matter of days. Not two weeks away. The problem is not that the doctors aren't willing to work; I saw that firsthand—their waiting rooms were full. The problem is they simply don't have enough time to see everyone because there are so few doctors compared to the population.
These are the real-life impacts of the changes the government is making in Queanbeyan, in Yass, in Maryborough and in Campbelltown—all across Australia. In Werribee, we're seeing the impact of the various changes the government is making. As I said, I will not have the government tell us that they care more about rural health than we do. I spend a lot of time in rural Australia as shadow minister for health. I've travelled through rural New South Wales with Senator O'Neill. I've been to rural and regional Queensland, I've been through remote Western Australia and I've been through the remote Northern Territory. I care about getting more doctors and allied healthcare professionals into remote Australia. But I do not want to see places which aren't in metropolitan Sydney or Melbourne—or, indeed, Brisbane—negatively impacted.
These changes impact, for example, on the electorate of Paterson. As the member for Paterson has pointed out to me, Kurri Kurri is treated the same as Mosman under the government's changes. Again, Kurri Kurri is a perfectly nice place, but it's not Mosman. It's not Mosman, which is one of the most affluent areas of Sydney, but there are the same incentives to work as a doctor in Kurri Kurri as we have in Mosman. This is an indication of just how cack-handed the government's approach has been when it comes to rural and regional health in Australia.
I will move the second reading amendment, which will give other honourable members the opportunity to point out the impacts of these changes on their electorates—how their electorates have been adversely impacted by the government's changes. The government says, 'Nothing to see here.' Honourable members might recall that I asked the Minister for Regional Health about some of these matters a little while ago. His answers, I dare say, were found by this side of the House to be highly unsatisfactory. He claimed that the Labor Party had supported legislation to do these things. There is no legislation; it's all done by ministerial regulation. So the minister wasn't even aware of how he'd implemented the changes, let alone the impact those changes have had on rural and regional Australia and outer metropolitan Australia.
If the government wants to have a debate about who is better for Australia's regions then we're happy to have that debate, because, when it comes to health, it's not that side of the House. When it comes to health it's not the Liberal and National Party members who are standing up for their communities, it's the Labor Party members. It's not the regional Liberals; I haven't seen them protesting about the impact of these changes on their communities. No; they cop it. They cop it—they go along with these changes. Well, Labor members are a lot more vocal about the impact of the changes.
I move:
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House expresses its concern at the Government’s cuts and changes to Medicare, particularly those changes that have made access to medical practitioners more difficult in the regions, including:
(1) cuts to rural bulk billing incentives;
(2) changes to the District of Workforce Shortage and Distribution Priority Area health workforce classifications; and
(3) abolition of the Rural Other Medical Practitioners program".
We will support the legislation and we will ask the House and the government to take into account the matters that are raised in the second reading amendment.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Rob Mitchell ): Is the amendment seconded?
Dr FREELANDER: I second the amendment.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The original question was that this bill be now read a second time, to which the honourable member for McMahon has moved an amendment that all words after 'That' be omitted with a view to substituting other words. If it suits the House, I will state the question in the form that the words proposed be omitted and stand as part of the question.
Dr FREELANDER (Macarthur) (12:42): I rise today to speak on the Health Insurance Amendment (General Practitioners and Quality Assurance) Bill 2020. In doing so, I wish to very strongly echo and support the comments of my colleague, the member for McMahon and shadow minister for health.
I represent an electorate in the outer south-western suburbs of Sydney, an electorate that for many decades has suffered from difficulties in attracting a general practitioner workforce and which for many years has called out for better health resources. The problems that many outer metropolitan, rural and regional electorates face is a very ad hoc approach to general practitioner recruitment and to primary care. From the conservative parties we have seen nothing but this ad hoc approach. That is really echoed in a number of different areas, including the absolutely chaotic rollout of the My Health Record; the extremely-difficult-to-understand and difficult-to-interpret general practitioner reward system for rural and regional areas; and the poor health care that many people in disadvantaged areas are facing, and the lack of response from this government and previous conservative governments to this. One has to ask why this health legislation has been so long in coming.
Labor, of course, will be supporting this legislation and the amendment moved by the member for McMahon because it does aim to simplify the administration of payments through Medicare to some general practitioners. But it has taken years for the government to recognise this and to do something about it. While the legislation itself is largely non-controversial, it is very important, particularly in the midst of a global health pandemic. It's now more important than ever that people engage with the healthcare system and are able to visit their general practitioner should the need arise.
As a paediatrician, a parent and a politician I'm often astounded about the lack of continuity of care that people experience when engaging with the healthcare system. A person's GP is a person's primary giver of health care. People should be able to have a longstanding relationship with a general practitioner and the general practitioner should be able to have an in-depth understanding of their patient's needs and individual circumstances.
The evolution of a digital health record is one step towards ensuring that patients are able to have some semblance of continuous care. It enables their medical records and essential health history to be shared with healthcare providers in a timely, accurate and efficient manner. It's a shame that the rollout of the government's system was so tumultuous, but I believe we must persist. Data, after all, is the future of health care. I acknowledge the difficulties faced by many families in accessing continuous care when they move home, have career changes or live in outer metropolitan, rural and regional areas where there's no continuity of care through a GP staying in the same practice for a continuous period of time.
I'm fortunate to have close relationships with a number of my present and former medical colleagues. I'm well aware of the issues they face on a daily basis. This legislation aims to make it a little easier to maintain their evidence of continuing professional education—a little less paperwork for them. The bill takes some steps towards addressing some of the administrative issues that they face as a medical professional being recognised as a specialist general practitioner for Medicare purposes. It will make it a little easier in aligning Medicare eligibility for the GP with the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme registration requirements.
Each and every year specialist GPs must make a declaration to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency that they have met their CPD requirements. With a busy GP and a busy practice this takes significant time. This bill seeks to remove the present requirements of specialist GPs to further register with Services Australia and will instead tie their eligibility for higher Medicare rebates to the existing NRAS system.
Our public healthcare system is a very good one, but it is far from perfect. One area where the government has been particularly poor is in the coordination and delivery of primary care general practitioner services to disadvantaged areas. It's okay if you live in Mosman, Toorak or some of the more affluent areas in other states, but if you live in outer metropolitan, rural and regional Australia, it's often very difficult for people to access appropriate continuous general practitioner care. There has been little formal planning by the government to make sure that the same levels of health care apply to all Australians, not just those from wealthier areas. This is a great shame. A gap is emerging between the working poor and the elite. This is well demonstrated by the current coronavirus pandemic if one looks at where the outbreaks are and where people have had difficulty accessing care. It's true in rural, regional and outer metropolitan areas.
We must take steps to strengthen the public health system and our beloved Medicare system. Ensuring that medical professionals have less bureaucratic hurdles to constantly navigate is one such way that we can work towards retaining trained professionals in this area, but it is important that there is a logical and appropriate plan for delivering primary health care to all Australians. This is something that this government does lack. It needs to lift its game.
I commend the legislation to the House. I thank the member for McMahon for his terrific contributions in this area and also for his second reading amendment. I will have more to say at a later date about primary care in Australia.
Ms MURPHY (Dunkley) (12:49): I rise to speak on the Health Insurance Amendment (General Practitioners and Quality Assurance) Bill 2020 today because there is nothing more important than equal access to health care. That is a theme of this bill. More importantly, it's not a theme for Labor; it's a heartfelt belief and commitment. I join what my colleagues have said with respect to the specific provisions of this bill, but I want to take this opportunity to raise the issues that have been presented to me by doctors, GPs and surgeries in my electorate of Dunkley. Notwithstanding the view of the government that my electorate of Dunkley is adequately served by GPs, that's not how my community feels and it's certainly not how a number of the GP practices feel. They have contacted me because they cannot recruit enough doctors to meet the need. They cannot adequately service some of the most vulnerable people in my community in Frankston and Carrum Downs because they cannot adequately recruit the GPs that they need. They have made representations to me that it isn't working for them, because of the way the system has been designed and is being operated by this government.
I have written to the Minister for Health in regard to Total Care Medical in Frankston, one of the legendary doctors in Frankston who has given his life to being a GP and serving people, and two GP practices in Carrum Downs, which is one of the more disadvantaged pockets of my electorate. A lot of the time they serve people who are vulnerable, particularly now in the middle of this global health crisis and pandemic. The Ballarto and St Mary medical centres in Carrum Downs contacted me and asked for help. I wrote to the minister on their behalf. I told the minister that they are having difficulty recruiting Australian trained doctors, particularly to the St Mary clinic. They've tried many times as a participant in the AGPT Program but are on a waiting list and have been unsuccessful.
Ms Hatzopoulos, who is the practice manager for these two clinics that serve a quite vulnerable community, informed me that, because the region is not classified as a distribution priority area, the clinics have restricted ability to sponsor doctors through visa programs. She's advertised a position online with Seek. All six applications that came in required visa sponsorship, all of them, so they couldn't fill any positions from this ad. They attempted to participate as an after-hours medical deputising service, but due to program restrictions it wasn't feasible to proceed with the service. I am advised by those clinic that changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule will mean that the clinic will be financially disadvantaged because of a classification change. Their capacity to bulk-bill has been changed. It will further impact on the clinic's ability to entice doctors and also to retain doctors.
What these clinics—Ballarto, St Mary's and Total Care Medical Group—have asked me to advocate for is a reclassifying of the Frankston and Carrum Downs region as a distribution priority area. The minister has responded to my correspondence and has set out the reasons why the department and the minister are unable to do so, but in doing so also made the observation that they're content that Carrum Downs is adequately serviced by GPs. My community is not content that they're being adequately serviced and the GP centres aren't content that they can recruit the doctors they need to adequately service them. I am raising these matters in the parliament today as another opportunity for the government to look at these vulnerable areas, particularly in this time of a global health crisis, and see what you can do to assist my community.
I also want to take this opportunity, while we're talking about health and access to health, particularly in a time of a global pandemic, to raise an issue that I think everyone knows by now is dear to my heart. I have said it before: Ladies, check your breasts; Men, listen to what your body is telling you and go and see a doctor when you need to. That is even more important now. I have been speaking to the Breast Cancer Network Australia, amongst other services and support providers, who are very concerned that at the moment too many people are putting off going to see their general practitioner for other illnesses and ailments and for other check-ups because of their concerns about COVID-19. Don't do it. Go and get the check-ups that you need. The Breast Cancer Network Australia is there to support any woman who has a diagnosis or believes that they need to get checked. They are there to help you to go through the system, to get the help that you need and, if the worse thing happens and you get a diagnosis of cancer, to then help you go through your treatment. It's a pretty simple message that we want to put forward to people today: do not stop looking after the other aspects of your health just because we are fighting coronavirus. Go and get yourself checked by your GP if you believe there are any other issues that need to be addressed.
Of course, the only way we can ensure that all Australians can heed that advice—no matter what their income is, no matter where they live, no matter whether they were born here or came here, if they're an Indigenous person in a remote community, if they're a wealthy person in Toorak—is that we have a universal health system that benefits those who need it, a universal health system that works. It's more important now more than ever. It's more important that those of us in this place continue—as my colleagues on this side of the chamber will never stop doing—making sure that our precious Medicare system is properly resourced and properly run. Thank you.
Ms CLAYDON (Newcastle) (12:56): It gives me great pleasure to stand in support of the amendment moved by our shadow minister for health, the member for McMahon. In this environment where we're all faced with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic there can be nothing more important than primary health care in this nation. If this is not a time when all our minds are extremely exercised by health care then I don't know what is. I cannot imagine the idea that this government and this parliament would have a debate on any piece of legislation in the field of health without drawing attention to the radical importance of a universal health care system in this nation. I cannot even begin to imagine the state that we would be in right now had we not had the benefit of a universal safety net in Australia.
Actually, we do know what it looks like when you don't have universal health care, as we need only look to the United States of America and the diabolical destruction that has occurred in that nation. The gross inequities of access to a quality health care system results in unfathomable death and misery. That is something our nation has avoided. All of us in this House have been so thankful that there has been a prioritisation of science and medical health expertise at this time of a pandemic and that these experts have applied all of their skills and knowledge to ensure that our nation has been, in the scheme of things, spared so much pain and so much trauma. This parliament needs to spend every moment we can debating health issues, ensuring that we are doing all we can in this place to better support, to better finance, to better ensure the strength of our universal healthcare system in Australia.
It's astonishing now to think that the Prime Minister started this year of 2020 with a fresh round of cuts to Medicare bulk-billing. If we just think about what we were doing at the start of this year, before we actually knew what we were facing with the pandemic, it is gobsmacking now to think that the Prime Minister would have thought that that was a good plan for this nation. Newcastle is one of the 14 areas that he and his government targeted to cut the bulk-billing incentive payments. The government encourages GPs in Australia to bulk-bill vulnerable patients by paying them each time that they bulk-bill. It's called a bulk-billing incentive payment. In Newcastle, like my neighbouring areas of Maitland and Kurri Kurri, Scott Morrison slashed this payment. The loss of that incentive payment is estimated to cost the Newcastle and Hunter region some $7 million. I've met with many of my local GPs and representatives of the Hunter primary care sector. We've talked about the detrimental impact that these cuts to the bulk-billing payment incentive scheme have had for our region. As I said, they've taken $7 million out of our primary healthcare system overnight. This has meant that doctors have started making very, very difficult decisions about whether they are bulk-billing children, whether they're going to bulk-bill more than one sibling in the household, and whether they're going to be able to bulk-bill concessional patients and pensioners coming in. Well, you know what? They've already had to start making decisions about not bulk-billing those vulnerable people in our community. It's already happened. And, indeed, I have lost GPs. I have had GPs' surgery doors close. If anybody in this House thinks that now is a good time—if, indeed, there is ever a good time—for our GPs to be hit to the point that they are closing the doors of surgeries in the middle of a pandemic, I would be astonished. Nobody in my community thinks that this is okay, I can assure you of that.
I have written to the minister on many, many occasions about this issue, and, indeed, have launched a campaign locally in Newcastle with regards to the devastating impact that the changes to this bulk-billing incentive payment scheme have had. There were almost 1,000 petitioners on my online petition, but, additionally, more than 2,000 people had written in to me with a petition prior to the COVID-19 pandemic starting. Three thousand people is nothing to be sneezed at in this House. That is 3,000 people who had the capacity and time to actually petition and contact their federal member. For every one of those, you know that there's a 10-fold number of people who don't realise they can contact their federal member about these issues. They just turn up to the doctor, only to find out that they cannot be bulk-billed anymore. Imagine what it's like taking your three kids off to the doctor because they've all got sick at the same time, which is not an unusual scenario for families. You used to be able to bulk-bill. Now, you're up for three consultations. Or you make difficult decisions about maybe not taking them to the doctor, or just taking one. And if the doctor actually prescribes something, you've of course got all the additional costs then of follow-up pharmaceuticals. At a time when this pandemic has really made abundantly clear the importance of strong, universal primary healthcare in this nation, it is astonishing that the government should even contemplate proceeding with this cruel scheme to cut bulk-billing incentive payments.
And it is in regions that we feel this pain most acutely—although I don't wish to take anything away from others; I've listened to my colleagues from Western Sydney talk about the impacts it's had in their regions as well. This is a time when our GPs are under even more pressure. Many of them are now reporting to me that they are doing a lot of unpaid work where they are calling people who are trying to get advice and follow-up around COVID-19 at the moment. Many of my GPs are making those kinds of follow-up calls to many, many poor people on their own time and at their own expense. For those GP clinics there have also been significant additional costs in securing enough PPE, personal protection equipment, and the scrubs that are required in their surgeries. And there's been, simultaneously, a reduction in the number of face-to-face visits to GPs. People are actually quite scared of going to their GPs at the moment—hence the increase in telephone advice—for a couple of reasons. Some people in my community say, 'I don't want to pester my GP,' assuming they're going to be superbusy, 'They should be focused on people with COVID-19-related illnesses.' Or they are concerned about going there and thinking that it's a place of infection or possible source of infection. Either way, it is a diabolical situation for our citizens at this very time when we have asked them to heed health advice, and they have made many personal sacrifices to do so.
It is the obligation, then, of this government—indeed, this parliament—to ensure that we utilise the Commonwealth of this nation to support those people making sacrifices to ensure that this pandemic is contained. Therefore, any contemplation of a reduction in bulk-billing payment incentives now really should be unthinkable. I really do say to the government: there's no shame in realising you've made a mistake. There is no shame in that. You can come back to the House on this. I'd love to hear the minister say: 'We got that wrong. We should be, in the midst of a pandemic especially, doing all we can to support our GPs and frontline health workers.' It's no good sending platitudes of thanks and appreciation for everything that our frontline health workers are doing whilst you're simultaneously pulling the rug out from underneath a whole bunch of frontline GPs.
I'd like to just share with the House comments from one of the clinics that contacted me in relation to the impact of that withdrawal of the bulk-billing-payment scheme, on top of all these additional expenses of the unpaid work that they're currently doing—the increased spend on PPEs and scrubs and the reduction of actual visits into the surgery at the moment. This doctor, a doctor of many decades in my community, said, 'We feel that primary care doctors have been abandoned by the government and left to fend for themselves in the front line of this pandemic.' I don't think I could have put it any better myself. That is shameful. That is a shameful indictment of this government: at this time, to leave frontline GPs feeling abandoned.
I ask the minister to reconsider this short-sighted measure and to come and support the member for McMahon's amendment here. That is what a great health minister would do right now: come in and say, 'I got that wrong. Those cuts to rural and regional bulk-billing incentives were short-sighted.' He could come here and realistically argue that he didn't know what was coming at us with this pandemic. He could say, 'I didn't really understand the full consequences, but now I do, and we're going to reverse those bulk-billing measures.' That's what I want to hear Minister Greg Hunt come in here and say. I want him to make sure that the changes to the district work shortage and distribution priority areas for our health workforce classifications actually work for our rural and regional communities again. Really, the abolition of the Rural and Other Medical Practitioners Program—what's going on?
Anyway, Minister, if you are listening, this is a great opportunity for you to come into the House right now, back in Labor's amendment—
Mr Coulton interjecting—
Ms CLAYDON: Well, that's right, Minister Coulton. You could jump up and support this amendment for us now.
Mr Coulton interjecting—
Ms CLAYDON: Indeed. You'd be hard pushed to not be supporting our front-line medical workers in the bush—your community, your constituency, Minister. Your constituents stand to benefit enormously from Labor's amendments here right now. It's just a matter of standing up to that despatch box, making your commitment, joining with us now to express your concern about the government's cuts and changes to Medicare. Everybody in this House should be concerned about those cuts and changes to Medicare, particularly people in the bush, particularly those of us in the regions; and particularly in relation to those changes that are making access to medical practitioners more and more difficult right now, at a time when we need GPs more than ever to be focused entirely on delivering the very best primary health care service we can. I really do feel for your own constituents, Minister. I think that they would welcome increased levels of support into rural and regional areas of Australia.
So I look forward to Minister Hunt joining you, perhaps, in this move to support Labor's amendment on the table. It's done with good heart and good intention, and it's based on some very clear evidence that we've witnessed firsthand in our own communities.
Mr COULTON (Parkes—Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government) (13:11): The bill simplifies Medicare administrative processes for recognition as a specialist general practitioner for Medicare purposes under the Health Insurance Act 1973. It would align Medicare eligibility for GPs with the requirements of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, otherwise known as NRAS. The NRAS commenced in 2010 and for the first time provided a nationally consistent process of regulation for 16 health professions, including GPs. The NRAS established the Medical Board of Australia, otherwise known as the MBA, which is responsible for standards for the medical profession, including specialist registration, and setting standards for mandatory continuing professional development. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency—AHPRA—provides operational support for the MBA and holds the most up-to-date and accurate data source for the registration status of GPs. Services Australia will automatically update GPs' Medicare access based on regular data provided by AHPRA. This will simplify processes for GP Medicare recognition.
This bill will update the definition of a GP in the Health Insurance Act 1973 to align with national registration arrangements. Transitional and grandfathering provisions to be made in the Health Insurance Regulations 2018 will ensure that medical practitioners who are currently eligible for these higher GP rebates will continue to maintain this eligibility.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine are the peak professional bodies for general practice and, together with the MBA, are responsible for ensuring quality in general practice in Australia. Every three years the RACGP and ACRRM advise Services Australia that GPs are compliant with the CPD requirements to maintain patient access to higher Medicare rebates. This amendment will remove this duplicative reporting of CPD to Medicare. Extensive consultation with RACGP, ACCRM, the Australian Medical Association, AHPRA and the MBA has involved careful consideration to ensure that currently eligible medical practitioners who are practising as GPs will continue to be eligible for higher rebates with minimal administrative requirements to be completed.
Schedule 2 of this bill removes references to 'repeal legislation' and replaces it with the reference to the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009. The bill will also ensure that activities declared on or after 1 July 2009 are taken to have been valid declarations. Key stakeholders have been consulted as part of the drafting of the bill and support these streamlined processes. I would like to extend my thanks to the professional groups who engaged with the proposals in this bill, and I thank the members for their contributions to debate the bill.
The SPEAKER: Order! The original question was that this bill be now read a second time. To this the honourable member for McMahon has moved as an amendment that all words after 'That' be omitted with a view to substituting other words, so the immediate question is that the words proposed to be omitted stand part of the question.
The House divided. [13:20]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
Third Reading
Mr COULTON (Parkes—Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government) (13:23): by leave—I move:
That this bill be now read a third time.
Question agreed to.
Bill read a third time.
Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
Second Reading
Consideration resumed of the motion:
That this bill be now read a second time.
Ms McBRIDE (Dobell) (13:23): I rise to speak on the Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020 and I move the following amendment:
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House:
(1) notes Australia's substantial reliance on global supply chains for medicines and medical devices;
(2) further notes the supply issues that Australians have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for common medicines; and
(3) calls on the Government to consider stronger domestic supply capabilities as part of Australia's post-COVID-19 response".
This bill makes a number of minor and technical amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 which governs the regulation of medicines and medical devices in Australia. The bill includes three main provisions. Schedule 1 amends a number of device related definitions in the act to align them with the European Union framework following recent EU changes. Alignment with the EU was recommended by the 2015 Review of medicines and medical devices regulation. Alignment helps the Therapeutic Goods Administration draw on existing EU assessments when considering whether a device is safe and effective for use in Australia.
Schedule 2 allows the secretary to provide early advice to medicine sponsors about information that may be needed for TGA approval. The TGA already publishes guidance to assist sponsors, but this does not cover every possible scenario. As a result, some sponsors currently spend time and resources developing evidence that is not required or fail to provide required evidence, delaying access to medicines. The bill allows sponsors to request guidance before an application is submitted.
Schedule 9 introduces a data protection regime for assessed listed medicines and complementary medicines that are listed in the register but being assessed for efficacy before they are given marketing approval. This will provide five years protection for clinical trial information that a sponsor submits in support of an application where that information is not otherwise available. This mirrors the existing regime for innovative prescription medicines.
The bill also includes a number of more minor provisions, including schedule 6, which removes an unintended barrier to addressing medicine shortages. Under the Therapeutic Goods Amendment Act 2018, sponsors of higher-risk medicines are required to report shortages or permanent discontinuation of supply. However, it is an offence for the sponsor to claim that they can arrange a supply of an alternative unapproved therapeutic good. This bill removes that offence.
Labor supports this bill because we support Australians having access to medicines and therapeutic devices in a timely, affordable and, importantly, safe way. Long before I worked in this place, I knew being sick in a wealthy country like Australia shouldn't mean you struggle to keep a roof over your head. As a pharmacy student in 1996, when I studied drug legislation, it was obvious this was a complex area. But what struck me then and now is just how important this is. As the only pharmacist in this parliament, and having first registered in 1998, I'm determined to use my role as an MP to help in any way I can to make sure medicines are affordable and accessible no matter where you were born or where you live or grow old.
We are lucky in that, by and large, medicines in Australia are affordable because of the PBS. But this isn't universal. We shouldn't underestimate the impact of health costs, particularly for people living with chronic conditions. The cost to individuals living with asthma, diabetes or heart disease and using multiple medications has a big impact on household budgets. As a pharmacist, I've been handed a bundle of prescriptions by a parent after a family visit to a GP and asked, 'Which is the most important script to fill?' or 'Which one could be skipped or delayed?' I've been asked by a mum, 'Could an antibiotic mixture could be shared between two children?' This is even more distressing when, as the COVID-19 situation continues to unfold, common medicines aren't available.
Labor supports the measures in this bill to remove barriers to addressing shortages of medicines, but, clearly, much more needs to be done. Pharmacists, as I've mentioned, are familiar with medicine shortages. They experience this day to day and they experienced it even before COVID-19. I've explained some of my firsthand experience dealing with shortages in a community pharmacy. This has also happened when I worked at our local hospital as a specialist mental health pharmacist, accessing medicines through the TGA Special Access Scheme for patients at high risk if they had to discontinue or switch medications on which they'd been stabilised; as a chief pharmacist and member of a hospital drug and therapeutics committee; and now as a local MP hearing the problems faced accessing medicines in this crisis.
Medicine and medical device shortages represent a growing and potentially life-threatening risk. This risk is real as we face COVID-19. According to the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, for patients and carers, medicine shortages can be inconvenient, stressful and time-consuming and have cost implications. Depending on the nature and duration of a shortage, it can also negatively impact on a person's health and quality of life. The Pharmacy Guild emphasised this and that it's often worse for people living in regional and remote Australia. It can cause particular difficulties for people living in remote and regional areas, sometimes requiring them to travel long distances to obtain necessary medicines.
In the first two weeks of March, as we faced COVID-19, demand for medicines rose sharply, resulting in pharmacies and wholesalers reporting numerous outages of common medicines.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Llew O'Brien ): Order. The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour. The member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.
STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS
Child Care
Ms WELLS (Lilley) (13:30): On behalf of the parents hustling their work and their families on the north side, the early educators who are working their guts out in extremely difficult circumstances at the moment, and the north side children who depend upon them, and on us all, to secure their futures, I call on the federal government to fix child care now. If they really cared about this sector, if they truly understood the importance of a child's first five years and the people who are in charge of guiding that education and funding that education properly, they would have had their come-to-Jesus moment at the last election. They would have chosen to take a policy to the election to fund this sector properly.
Instead, when we proposed our childcare policy, they called us a bunch of communists. But now they say, 'Actually, you were probably right and there should be some free child care.' But all they were seeking was a headline, not a solution. If the Prime Minister really wanted free child care, then he should have funded it, and he should have funded it properly, because now he's asking childcare centres and family day care centres to do the impossible.
So on behalf of people like Emma, who works in a Kedron childcare centre and whom I met on that first day when those Centrelink queues were so long—she was waiting for two hours outside Chermside Centrelink—she had been put off as a casual from a Chermside childcare centre; she was six months pregnant and she had absolutely no idea what to do—I say to the federal government: fix this yesterday.
Nuclear Energy
Mr TED O'BRIEN (Fairfax) (13:31): Despite the almighty challenges that our nation faces, there also does lie an opportunity, an opportunity for us to rebuild an even stronger and more resilient economy than what we previously had. This is going to be a long road, and government, here in this chamber included, has an important leadership role to play, but it's really going to be Australian businesses that get us back on our feet. They need to be at the centre of our recovery efforts. We need to do what we can to ensure that we incentivise them to unleash their animal spirits, to invent, to invest, to hire, and to do what they do best.
But we also have our own jobs to do, and that is to be equally as savvy as the private sector is when it comes to those areas we influence. One of those areas is the energy sector, where we need to be forward-leaning in our embrace of technology—of all technologies, not just one. But included in the mix that should at least be considered are the new and emerging nuclear technologies. Thank you.
Arts
Mr BURNS (Macnamara) (13:33): I couldn't disagree more with the previous speaker, the member for Fairfax! Our creative industries are more than just entertainment. They are a massive industry that employs up to 600,000 Australians and make up to 6.4 per cent of our national GDP. Our artists tell our Australian stories, and in times like this Australian stories must be told. They reflect our national experience and they tell the experiences that all Australians are going through at this time.
I'm proud to represent Southbank, St Kilda, South Melbourne and so many other homes to our creative industries in my electorate. But our Australian artists are doing it really tough. They're being left behind by a federal government who, at a time when it should be supporting industry, has decided to leave artists off the JobKeeper program. To make matters worse, they cut funding in 2014 to the Australia Council and still haven't put that funding back. To make matters worse, during a national pandemic, the federal government has decided to cut the quotas for screen television documentaries, dramas and children's programming—during the coronavirus—for Australian programs. They are taking away Australian voices and Australian jobs.
This is a pandemic where we need to bring people with us, and it is a pandemic during which we need to be telling Australian stories. Our artists were lining up and helping our bushfire communities to fundraise as soon as that crisis hit, and now our artists are facing their own crisis and this government is leaving them behind. We need their stories and we need to protect their jobs.
Groom Electorate: Health
Dr McVEIGH (Groom) (13:34): I was very pleased to join with the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network CEO, Merrilyn Strohfeldt, and the Carbal Medical Services CEO, Brian Hewitt, in Toowoomba recently to officially open Australia's first regional Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service-led GP respiratory clinic. This vital new service will provide our locals with a culturally safe place to be tested and treated for COVID-19.
This clinic in particular is important in our community given Indigenous Australians are more likely to suffer from a serious illness if they contract COVID-19, and there are higher rates of chronic conditions, unfortunately, and other health issues in regional communities. But it's open to all local residents, so the clinic certainly is taking pressure off our local hospital emergency departments and other GP clinics within the Toowoomba region.
We expect a second GP-led COVID-19 respiratory clinic to open in our region over the coming days to help ensure all members of our community have access to testing if they need it. This is very much in line with the three principles that the Prime Minister and other national leaders are emphasising for our continued progress through the COVID-19 challenge: testing, tracing and having the capacity to respond to potential outbreaks.
COVID-19: Northern Territory
Mr GOSLING (Solomon) (13:26): I'm so proud of Territorians and the way our community has banded together in the face of this COVID-19 pandemic over the last couple of months. Once again, we've showed each other that we will always be there to support each other in the northern capital. We're a close mob, so we feel each other's pain and we feel each other's joy. We've been working together to make sure that everyone, whether you have been there for generations or whether you've been there for one day, is looked after.
Sports groups and elements of the multicultural community have been cooking meals for international students who were left without support. And Darwin and Palmerston people have been rallying behind local businesses to keep them trading as they have innovated to try and keep their employees in work.
The Northern Territory government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Michael Gunner, Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison and health minister Natasha Fyles, took fast and decisive action at the start of this pandemic. This strong leadership, with the cooperation of Territorians, has meant that we're in a unique position to start a steady and careful reopening. We still have a challenge ahead of us, though, and I know Territorians will do the right thing.
Finally, I just want to thank all the essential workers: the health professionals, the police, the cleaners and the teachers. All have kept the Territory moving at this time.
Braddon Electorate: COVID-19
Mr PEARCE (Braddon) (13:38): You won't find a stronger, more tightly knit community than in the electorate of Braddon. The region has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, which has tested our resilience like never before. We have been challenged, we have made the sacrifices needed, and together we've saved lives and contained the virus. Sadly, we have lost loved ones, and I extend my sincere and heartfelt condolences to all those Tasmanians affected. I thank the region's frontline health workers and other essential workers who have risked their own health and safety to tirelessly deal with and adapt to the devastating outbreak in our region. On behalf of the electorate, I'd also like to thank the members of the Australian Defence Force and the health professionals from the AUSMAT team who ensured that the emergency department at the Burnie hospital remained open during our lockdown phase.
The COVID-19 challenge has brought out the best in individuals in the electorate. Today I'd like to mention a few. Devonport's Southern Wild Distillery has produced 15,000 litres of hand sanitiser. Burnie's Mark Acheson has created a website that links volunteers to vulnerable people, and Smithton based IT consultant Mark Dabner has volunteered his own 3D printers to produce face shields for Primary Health Tasmania. We still have a long way to go, but I know the good people of Braddon will rise to whichever challenge is placed before them.
COVID-19
Ms STANLEY (Werriwa—Opposition Whip) (13:39): As restrictions are gradually eased, I am cautious that, in our sincere desire to return to normal, we may plant the seeds for the devastating second wave of COVID-19 infections. In every major pandemic there has been a second wave. During the 1918 Spanish flu, 90 per cent of deaths were in the second wave. More recently, in the 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak, there were nearly five times as many deaths in developed countries in the second wave. The key cause was that people naturally wanted to forget about the outbreaks, only to have carelessness unleash immeasurable suffering. They say that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. As the member for McMahon so eloquently pointed out yesterday in his speech in this place, you can never get over the loss of a loved one—especially if waiting just a little bit longer before easing restrictions may mean much less spread of the virus.
There is no excuse for a COVID-19 second wave. I applaud the great work of our community and our frontline workers—train drivers, retail workers, cleaners, nurses, doctors and so many others—who've been doing so much. Thank you to all those workers who've kept our community going. It would be a true tragedy for these gains to be so quickly erased. Remember: remain vigilant, be patient, stay at home if you're unwell, seek a test if necessary, wash your hands and keep 1.5 metre apart.
JobKeeper Payment
Mr SHARMA (Wentworth) (13:41): The government's JobKeeper package has provided a lifeline for thousands of businesses across Australia and, at the latest count, some six million Australians. JobKeeper is helping to maintain the connection between businesses and their staff and is assisting businesses to stay afloat financially, cushioning the economic impact of the crisis and facilitating a faster economic recovery as public health controls are eased.
In my own electorate of Wentworth, many small businesses have been supported by JobKeeper, and I want to single out one in particular. When we announced JobKeeper on 30 March, I was in touch with James Meek, one of the owners of the Bennett Street and Blair Street dairies, two local cafes in Bondi. James told me back then on 30 March that JobKeeper had given him the confidence to reopen his business, which he'd shuttered just a few days earlier. He started to sell takeaway coffees and, as a bit of an experiment, cookie dough, which he'd previously been using to bake cookies in his cafes. I spoke to James again today and he told me his cookie dough sales were now beginning to dwarf his earlier cafe business. The cookie dough business has taken off, tapping into all those people wanting to bake at home. Since that time, the Bondi Dairy has delivered more than 1,000 kilograms of cookie dough all across Sydney.
JobKeeper had allowed James to keep on all his workers and retool his business, and it gave him the confidence to try something new. I know a lot of businesses are doing it tough out there right now and many have not been as fortunate as the Bondi Dairy and James. We will continue to stand alongside all these businesses. (Time expired)
COVID-19: Arts and Recreation
Mr WILKIE (Clark) (13:42): No sector is unscathed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is our precious arts and creative industries that must be among the hardest hit. Indeed, thousands of events and exhibitions have been cancelled, more than half of all smaller arts organisations have closed and more than 600,000 people have lost their incomes. Tasmania's thriving arts tourism scene in particular is reeling from the loss of this year's Dark Mofo winter festival, which would have been worth $50 million to the local economy.
Despite all this, the federal government's response has been to virtually ignore the situation. Yes, there's $27 million in targeted measures, but, frankly, this is bugger all. Nor is of much help the federal arts minister's insistence that JobKeeper and jobseeker are available, as thousands of people in the arts and creative industries perform short-term freelance work and can't get JobKeeper and their erratic incomes mean that many more miss out on jobseeker. All of this is for the sector that has suffered years of funding cuts and was in a precarious position before the pandemic. There is not even a federal arts department anymore.
Those who work in the arts and creative industries have families to support and bills to pay. They must be supported with a living wage. The government needs to step up and deal with this, and deal with it now.
Berowra Electorate: Telecommunications
Mr LEESER (Berowra) (13:44): On one of the scariest days of summer when Sydney was on alert because of catastrophic fire danger, I checked in on the local fire control centre only to learn that they were without phone connection and were having to stand in the car park to try and get mobile reception. This is metropolitan Sydney in an area that is 10 minutes from Castle Hill and 40 minutes from the CBD. After the February storms hit huge parts of my electorate, we were without phone and internet for weeks with repair dates forever moving into future. An aged-care home was without phones, cutting off residents from emergency services and connection with the outside world.
Now with COVID-19, my electorate has continued to suffer from Telstra's lack of service. Online learning has been a nonsense for families. Teachers have had to drive to community centre car parks and teach from their car. One doctor involved in the planning of the pandemic response was without internet or phone for over a month. Telstra continued to charge him for the service he wasn't receiving even when he protested that the health of his patients was at risk.
For four years I have been foolish enough to believe Telstra when they say that they will fix things but I say to Andy Penn, the CEO of Telstra: you never fix the fundamentals. Telstra has a huge responsibility with their legacy market advantage, so if they don't discharge their responsibilities properly they should be forced to share their infrastructure so consumers have some hope of getting the service they need. I say: enough is enough. Do better Telstra.
Gilmore Electorate: Mental Health Services
Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (13:45): With the triple hit of drought, bushfires and now coronavirus, mental health services in my community have never been more critical. That is why I find it astonishing during bushfire recovery that the Minister for Health is choosing to allow an established mental health outreach service in Ulladulla, a significantly impacted bushfire area, to close all for the sake of $70,000.
The Shoalhaven Women's Health Centre has been helping women in the Shoalhaven for 35 years. They know they can make that small amount of money go a long way, and it will make a difference. Without this funding, the centre will be forced to cease its outreach in Ulladulla. It will have to reduce its operations in Nowra. This means that not only will women who have been to hell and back this summer lose these essential services; staffing hours will also be cut, putting even more people in my bushfire impacted area out of work. This is not good enough.
I wrote to Greg Hunt pleading with him to fund this service two weeks ago in the midst of these crises. The answer was a resounding no. I find this absolutely astounding. But perhaps coming from a government that continues to make false promises and flashy announcements about support for bushfire communities, I shouldn't be surprised. I implore the minister to reverse this decision and provide these vital funds immediately.
Sturt Electorate: Manufacturing
Mr STEVENS (Sturt) (13:47): It's been my great pride and pleasure to be associated with the Morrison government and some of the great decisions that we've made, particularly since the last election. But probably, in my view, the best one they have made was the decision recently to provide $1 million under the advanced manufacturing grants program to Robern Menz to bring back the Polly Waffle, the iconic confectionary bar that some of the older members in the chamber might remember more than I do. I think it was discontinued in the 1990s.
Robern Menz, an iconic manufacturer in my electorate of Sturt, produces the FruChoc—probably the most famous product that they produce. But of course more recently they've started manufacturing the Violet Crumble to great success and great export success, in particular into the United States and other markets. Now, in partnership with the Morrison government and that grant program, they are going to be making a significant investment into that product line that they've purchased from Nestle so that they can bring modern manufacturing capability to get the sorts of quantities that are going to be required with modern advanced manufacturing technique and capability to bring back the Polly Waffle, bring back the dream that was lost oh-so many decades ago.
But thanks to the Morrison government, it is being returned. I can't wait to have my first Polly Waffle. I'm happy to bring 151 and put one on each seat in this chamber when they're hot off the line. I thank Minister Andrews and the government for this exciting investment in my local economy.
Oxley Electorate: COVID-19
Mr DICK (Oxley) (13:48): I've never been prouder to be the member representing the south-west Brisbane and Ipswich suburbs than I have seeing my local community rise to the challenge of the COVID-19 outbreak over the last few months, which has simply been remarkable. We've had so many community groups, businesses and organisations contact my office looking for ways to help those that are in need in our community during this time. By working together, we have seen many vulnerable Australians, who would otherwise have fallen through the cracks, be heard, supported and cared for during this difficult time. On behalf of everyone who's received your support and care during this time, I thank you. I salute you.
The economic impact on small businesses, the some 13,000 businesses in the Oxley electorate, has been tragic. We've seen many local businesses suffer. I was proud to support our local chambers of commerce, the Springfield chamber of commerce and the Centenary & Districts Chamber of Commerce where we have launched a campaign called Tuesday Check-in where we highlight local businesses that are open and operating in our community through social media platforms. On top of this, I was proud to partner with one of my local state members, Jess Pugh, the member for Mount Ommaney, sponsoring free coffees for essential workers at our local cafes this week.
I want to mention the incredible dedication of the community groups, churches and emergency relief centres for stepping up to the mark and supporting our community. To all the churches and volunteers, thank you from the bottom of my heart and the community for all that you've done: supporting people, looking after people. Together we'll continue to look after each other and get through COVID-19 together.
Forde Electorate: Volunteers
Mr VAN MANEN (Forde—Chief Government Whip) (13:50): Next Monday sparks the start of national volunteer week, and this year's theme is changing communities, changing lives. Every day across this country and across my electorate of Forde, countless volunteers are rolling up their sleeves to do exactly that: to change communities and to change lives. Whether it's rolling up their sleeves and putting on the gumboots to clean up after the devastating Logan floods of 2017 or the more recent and pressing challenges of the bushfires and COVID-19, volunteers in my community are there to support others, lend a hand or simply just lend an ear to listen or be a shoulder to cry on.
In recent times volunteers in Forde have stepped up to help those struggling with the COVID-19 crisis, and I want to acknowledge just some of their efforts in the chamber today. Loganlea Community Centre has been providing free food parcels for families in need. On the Edge Charity in Beenleigh has been doing a weekly free hangi for those in our community doing it tough, and Nightlight has been doing a free takeaway community feed at Beenleigh train station. Beenleigh and Shailer Park Meals on Wheels are ramping up their deliveries for our elderly residents who are isolating, and our service clubs are continuing with their online meetings to keep people connected.
The volunteers are the heart and soul of our community and make it a better place to live. I want to thank them for the great work they're doing and the difference they are making in our community.
COVID-19: JobKeeper
Ms THWAITES (Jagajaga) (13:51): I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that there are those on the other side who are already calling to wind back the support offered through JobKeeper and jobseeker. I just have to wonder who are those members talking to other than the ideologues at the IPA and the other pushers of rampant free market ideologies?
Well, I've have been talking to people in my community and they are still hurting.
They still need this support and they need to know that it won't be ripped away from them. In fact, too many of them are still missing out. This includes people who were told by their employers that they would get JobKeeper, only to find at the last minute that those employers couldn't afford the bridging finance. There are people who have worked as casuals across a number of jobs, yet find they're not eligible from support from any of their employers. There are people on temporary visas who, until now, have worked in Australia for years. And there are people at La Trobe University. The government changed the rules on them deliberately to exclude them from the JobKeeper scheme. Again, I realise those opposite seem to have an ideological opposition to people having jobs at universities, but it's not just those people who suffer. Businesses in our local community who supply to the university, and the cafes and shops nearby where staff do their shopping are all hurting too. To suggest that we can just snap back or that more support is not needed is an insult to all of these people. Labor is up for the challenge ahead. It is clear that the government is not; it is failing people who need them. (Time expired)
Maleny Agricultural Show
Mr WALLACE (Fisher) (13:53): The Maleny show in my electorate of Fisher is the best in Queensland. Actually, no, it's the best in Australia. The event brings thousands of visitors to Maleny every year and gives Sunshine Coast locals the opportunity to reconnect with country life. It was very disappointing for all of us when the show was cancelled this year due to COVID-19. However, thanks to a Morrison government grant of $486,111 announced last week, I am delighted to say that next year's Maleny show will be our best yet. The grant will be used by the show society to build a new workshop, shed and office space, providing more capacity for putting together an even better event and improved facilities for other community clubs that use the showgrounds. It will also pay for accessible amenities to make it easier for people with disabilities to get involved in the show. This is going to benefit our whole community by providing desperately needed work for local builders in the short term and by drawing more visitors to Maleny in the years to come. This is yet another example of the federal government investing in the Sunshine Coast to help us emerge stronger than ever from this COVID-19 crisis. Congratulations to President—and now Councillor—Winston Johnson and the Maleny Show Society team. I can't wait to set up my marquee again next year and get stuck into all the great things that the show has to offer.
Higher Education
Mr GILES (Scullin) (13:54): University jobs are worth saving and they are worth fighting for. I'm proud to be part of a Labor team that's working with university administration, unions and student activists to save these important jobs. But the Morrison government has been doing exactly the opposite. It is pushing university workers into unemployment queues. The last time I was here, I argued for a wage subsidy. I argued to keep the connection between workers and their work through this pandemic. I'm pleased the government listened, but there are enormous holes in the JobKeeper scheme, and the government must do more. The shadow minister, the member for Sydney, reminded us today that there are 21,000 jobs at risk in higher education because of the ideological pig-headedness of this government and its contempt for higher education and the people who work in it. Don't they know how important our universities are? Don't they value their staff, their students, the research and the contribution to our export earnings? We know that's not the case because the minister and the Prime Minister tell international students, who paid good money to study here, to go home, and they have left them without income support. But I am here, with my colleagues—in particular, the member for Jagajaga, the member for Cooper and the member for Bendigo—to stand up for university jobs, particularly those at La Trobe University, which has been treated so badly. Our communities won't stand for that. They know that we will keep fighting for jobs at La Trobe and at universities everywhere.
Burnell, Mr Robert (Bob)
Gowty, Mr Greville
Mr TIM WILSON (Goldstein) (13:56): Recently, the Goldstein community lost two of its community stalwarts: Robert 'Bob' Burnell and Greville Gowty. Together with their wives, they contributed over a hundred years of active service to our community, to our country—to keep it a liberal democracy—and, of course, to our wonderful party. Bob, after retiring from the Victorian police force continued to serve the community, working with the former member for Isaacs, Rod Atkinson. Greville was an architect who made a significant and lasting contribution to his local community of Black Rock.
Both men served with distinction as senior branch office-bearers and year-round community leaders. They were always willing to get stuck in and lend a hand. They were always working to improve the lives of their fellow Melburnians and, of course, our local community. It's men like these, and others who volunteer, who enrich our community and make it a wonderful place to live, learn and grow. Their passing is not only a great loss for their families, of course, but for the greater Goldstein community. Bob is survived by his wife, Margaret, and family. Greville is survived by his wife, Marjorie. On behalf of everybody, we want to thank each of them for their service, their contribution to our community and a life very well lived in the service of Australia.
JobKeeper Payment
Mr MARLES (Corio—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (13:58): At the beginning of this year, there were 5½ thousand workers in commercial kitchens at our airports around Australia, many of them members of the Transport Workers Union, who were making meals that would have been eaten by people here, along with the tens of thousands of others who fly on Qantas flights every year. For a long time, those kitchens were operated by a company called Q Catering. But, two years ago Q Catering was sold by Qantas to Emirates Airlines which is, in turn, owned by the government of Dubai. In the process, Q Catering became dnata. Clearly, those workers had no say in the change of ownership, but two years later, this would have a profound impact on their livelihoods, because the way the government's JobKeeper arrangements operates is to prevent workers who are employed by a company which is ultimately owned by a foreign government from receiving those payments, even though those payments would, of course, remain right here in Australia. That isn't fair. When we all met here last month, Labor was very pleased to support the JobKeeper arrangements, even though they contained flaws, because there was an important safety valve in the form of the Treasurer being able, through the stroke of his pen, to fix anomalies. This is one of those anomalies. These are workers who have been doing their jobs for years. They want to do them in the future. Today is the day for the Treasurer to do his job and give justice to dnata workers.
COVID-19: Regional Australia
Dr WEBSTER (Mallee) (13:59): We often talk about the resilience of regional communities. I know this firsthand when I hear from farmers who have not sown a crop for years due to drought. These farmers trade with stoicism and many are champions of adaptation, whether to the environment, markets, or technology. They have evolved their business models to meet emerging challenges and have prospered. The COVID-19 crisis offers regional communities an opportunity to reset and reconsider the way we do business and live our lives. One way is to value-add to primary industry through manufacturing. Building our manufacturing capabilities must become a focus if we are to see growth and recovery on the other side, paving a way for greater self-reliance on Australian supply chains. Too much of our raw product is shipped overseas and returned as retail product. Through technology, robotics and automation, we can cost-effectively produce quality goods that are desired around the globe. While we remain committed to building international trade relationships, diversification is prudent.
The SPEAKER: The time for members' statements has concluded.
MINISTERIAL ARRANGEMENTS
Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (14:01): I inform the House that the Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure will be absent from question time today, and the Deputy Prime Minister will answer questions on his behalf. The Minister for Home Affairs will answer questions on behalf of the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs. The Minister for International Development and the Pacific and Assistant Defence Minister will be absent. The Minister for Veterans' Affairs will answer questions on his behalf. For the information of the House, I note that at the conclusion of question time today, following agreement between the Leader of the Opposition and myself, we will table a proposed sitting calendar for the balance of this year.
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
COVID-19: JobKeeper
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the Opposition) (14:01): My question is to the Prime Minister. The number of people employed in Australia fell by 600,000 in April. This followed the Prime Minister's decision to deny a wage subsidy for casual workers, arts and entertainment workers, and workers in the university and local government sectors. Aren't more Australians out of work today because the Prime Minister deliberately excluded them from the JobKeeper wage subsidy?
Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (14:02): No, that's not true. It's disappointing that when the Labor Party says they're engaging in a bipartisan effort, it doesn't take long for the white-anting to begin.
Dr Chalmers interjecting—
The SPEAKER: The member for Rankin.
Mr MORRISON: It really doesn't take long. The truth is that six million Australians are benefiting from a JobKeeper program that is being shouldered by taxpayers to the tune of more than $20 billion a month. And on top of that there is the expansion of the jobseeker program, with the effective doubling of the jobseeker payment, which has seen almost 1.2 million additional Australians being able to get that additional payment with the COVID supplement. Those almost 1.2 million claims were processed by Services Australia in a period of about six to seven weeks—a set of claims which would normally be done over a two-year period. The government responded to the anticipated blow that would come from the COVID-19 crisis to Australia. This day—an incredibly difficult day for Australians, with almost 600,000 jobs lost in just one month—was a day that this government anticipated. We moved quickly and acted to ensure that both the JobKeeper and the jobseeker programs would cushion the blow, as a result of the decisions that we took as a government. Australians can continue to rely on that support from our government, because we ensured that we put Australia in a place where, when this crisis hit—
The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.
Mr Albanese: The point of order goes to relevance. The question was about whether there would be fewer people unemployed today if the Prime Minister hadn't excluded them from the JobKeeper program.
The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister is in order. The Prime Minister has the call.
Mr MORRISON: The Australian people can count on this government to be there for them right here, right now. And we are there for them right now. Six million Australians today are getting support through the JobKeeper program. Hundreds of thousands of businesses are keeping them in jobs because of a program which is unprecedented in scale and in reach across our economy, supported by the social safety net that is available through the jobseeker program, which was extended and enlarged to encompass those who would need it. Had this government not done that, and done it from a position of fiscal strength by bringing the budget back into balance, and ensuring—
Ms Ryan interjecting—
The SPEAKER: The member for Lalor.
Mr MORRISON: that we could act in this time. We have been there for Australians. We will be there for Australians, because the government knows how to manage money to ensure that those who are in deep need at the moment are in a position to receive that support, owing to the great generosity of Australians.
COVID-19
Mr LEESER (Berowra) (14:05): My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline to the House how the Morrison government continues to support Australians through the health and economic challenges of the coronavirus pandemic?
Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (14:05): I thank the member for his question. I thank all of his constituents and the constituents of all members of this House for the way that they have banded together in what is such a difficult time: almost 600,000 jobs lost in April. This is devastating news, but, sadly, not news that was unanticipated. Importantly, when we set out to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, as a government we called the pandemic before the WHO. We acted on the advice of the medical experts to list this as a virus of pandemic potential and then activated the response plan. We knew that we had to fight this fight on the health front. But we also knew, at exactly the same time, that this was a fight that had to be fought on two fronts: on the economy, and on the health front.
Not all agreed with us on that point. Some believed that we should focus primarily on health. But we always believed that we had to ensure that we would deal with this issue on the economic front as well as the health front—and indeed we did. So we moved through three substantial successive packages, working in concert with the Reserve Bank of Australia to ensure that we could put in place a platform that would support Australians through one of the most difficult times of their lives. I said at this dispatch box that 2020 would be the toughest year of their lives for so many Australians. That is proving to be true today, as we have seen this first set of numbers when it comes to unemployment. We anticipate that those figures will get worse. That is what we can expect. That's why the programs we have put in place—the jobseeker program, the JobKeeper program and the cash flow support for small businesses—are all designed to ensure that Australians can get through this crisis and we can get to the other side.
Now we're in an important phase. Having put that lifeline in place, having flattened the curve when it comes to the health challenge, we now need to address that curve when it comes to unemployment. This is the curve we need to change. That's why we're reopening Australia. We're reopening it with confidence because of the health platform we've built that will see Australians coming back into work. We will work to build confidence in the economy and to build momentum in that economy as we move back to a COVID-safe working environment and which means that Australians can be supported through an economy that is built on businesses that are making their way again in a post-COVID world.
We cannot have an economy that is addicted to the measures we currently have in place. It will break free of them eventually. That is the day we look forward to, because on that day we will be in a position for this economy to grow strongly again in the future. (Time expired)
JobKeeper Payment
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): My question is again to the Prime Minister: How many of the 600,000 fewer Australians who were employed in April were excluded from the JobKeeper wage subsidy?
Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (14:09): I can tell you that the JobKeeper program has 860,600 employers which are supporting six million employees. All of these measures go together in supporting employees. Some 503,900 businesses are supported by the cash flow boost program, the payments of which go to those business employers to support people to stay in jobs. It's some $9.1 billion on top of the JobKeeper payments that are paid to those businesses to keep those Australians in work. These programs are designed to keep people in jobs, and where those programs are not able to be made available to all those throughout the economy, in addition to the six million who are already supported, then the jobseeker program is there to support them. These two programs work together to provide the economic lifeline Australians need.
Regional Australia
Mr DRUM (Nicholls—Chief Nationals Whip) (14:10): My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister inform the House how the Morrison-McCormack government is continuing to build resilience in regional Australia to help it bounce back from drought, bushfires and now the COVID-19 pandemic?
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina—Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure,Transport and Regional Development and Leader of the Nationals) (14:10): The member for Mallee, in her 90-second statement, spoke about those wonderful farmers who, for the first time in many years, are planting a crop. Indeed, when I drove over here on Monday night—late, as it was—every third or fourth paddock had lights on it. There were farmers out there busy turning the soil with their scarifiers, planting seed and making sure that there was fertiliser out. They were planting their first crops, in many cases, for many years. We exalt, we honour and we acknowledge those farmers, those brave primary producers, making sure that they're going to get their first crops after years of drought. Many of them, of course, had their rural communities affected by bushfires and, of course, now regional Australia—like the rest of the nation and the rest of the world—is affected by COVID-19.
But the member for Nicholls asked me about regional Australia and its response to COVID-19. We are fighting back through the National Bushfire Recovery Agency. We heard the member for Maranoa, the minister for emergency management, give his ministerial statement and say what we are doing to help those fire ravaged communities. We've provided $8 billion towards drought relief and recovery efforts. We're continuing to do that, with $2 billion through the bushfire agency. Certainly in the member for Nicholls' electorate, we are getting on with the job of building the infrastructure that those regional Victorians need, want, expect and, most of all—and I'm sure the member for Nicholls would agree with me—deserve.
I'll reference a couple of quotes out of that fine electorate, represented by that fine representative. Rebecca Coates is the director of the new Shepparton Art Museum, or SAM. She said:
… what that building will encapsulate for people is a reflection of aspirations." It will be about presence, strength of character and a sense of pride and place …
We know that Shepparton is one of those communities which always punches well above its weight. It's a wonderful irrigation community. Its primary producers export to the world. We also want those on the arts side—whether it's events or whether it's artists themselves—to be their best selves. SAM will do just that.
Then we go to the general manager of Kreskas Bros, a wonderful transport company in the member's electorate. Peter Hill said: 'Fuel is the single biggest cost. I applaud and fully support the government's freeze on fuel excise. This means, during this difficult period, extra costs will be saved along the whole supply chain, keeping prices down for customers and producers. The freeze on excise also means we can operate the business with confidence and keep all of our staff employed.' That's what it's about. Whether it's jobseeker, JobKeeper or the initiatives that we've had with drought, fire and COVID, it's about keeping people in work and keeping those family owned enterprises in regional Australia thriving.
JobKeeper Payment
Dr CHALMERS (Rankin) (14:13): My question is to the Treasurer. How much shorter would unemployment queues be today if the government had implemented the JobKeeper wage subsidy earlier and included more groups, including casuals?
Mr FRYDENBERG (Kooyong—Treasurer) (14:14): It's a joke getting a question about jobs from the member who was going to saddle Australians with the highest tax-to-GDP ratio in the history of the Commonwealth.
Dr Chalmers interjecting—
The SPEAKER: The Treasurer will resume his seat. The member for Rankin will come to the dispatch box and withdraw.
Dr Chalmers: I withdraw.
The SPEAKER: And the member for Rankin is warned. The Treasurer has the call.
Mr FRYDENBERG: As the member for Rankin is well aware, we announced the most generous and most significant wage subsidy program in the history of this country, with some six million Australian workers covered by the 860,000 businesses that have formally enrolled in this program. Now, as the member for Rankin is aware, the eligibility for this program was set out very clearly: full-time workers, part-time workers, long-term casuals, sole traders and those in the not-for-profit sector. And, as the member for Rankin is aware, Treasury has forecast that unemployment is expected to reach around 10 per cent. But for the JobKeeper program, it would have been 15 per cent. So the JobKeeper program and the financial commitments from this government have helped save lives and save livelihoods.
National COVID-19 Coordination Commission
Ms STEGGALL (Warringah) (14:15): To the Prime Minister: the terms of reference of the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission indicate that the commission will 'ensure the government receives the most comprehensive advice available to meet the challenges ahead', yet its membership was not subject to public consultation or submission, there's no transparency about its governance and processes, questions were raised yesterday at the Senate inquiry that manufacturing and industrial advice is being received from individuals with apparent conflicts of interest and there is no requirement to focus on lowest-cost and lowest-emission technologies and opportunities. In the circumstances, how can the Australian people trust that the government will address all the challenges ahead?
Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (14:16): First of all, I thank the member for her question. All the arrangements that have been put in place for members of the COVID commission have been arranged by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet consistent with their rules and procedures that apply to all similar types of appointments. They are subject to the normal scrutiny, as you would expect, and that process has actually been pursued through the Senate committee process, which is entirely appropriate. So that transparency is available and present through those channels and, indeed, through the ability for the member to raise matters as she has done here.
The COVID commission, which is led by Nev Power, a very distinguished and very accomplished Western Australian, is being tasked with the job of bridging the gap between the private sector and the government sector, principally to deal with and troubleshoot problems that have arisen in relation to supply chains that have been impacted as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. That has seen us able to connect supply chains to access critical medical supplies and to deal with supply chain issues to get much-needed food stores to remote Indigenous communities as well as to regional towns and even metropolitan centres all across the country, particularly in those early days where we saw the rush on those stores and stocks at various times.
That commission has been working on ensuring the continuity of freight transport around the country from one side to the other despite the fact that there have been borders now erected between states and territories. As a result of the work done by the commission, we've been able to see those trucking lanes remain open and the transport of valuable goods and supplies around the country. Those groups within the COVID Commission have been working to ensure, with people like Greg Combet, that we can deliver COVID-safe workplaces, and they have worked closely together with the Minister for Industrial Relations and the Attorney-General so Australians can go back to work in a safe way in a partnership between employers and employees. These are the important gaps that we have to close when it comes to ensuring the private sector and the public sector are working together to deal with the problems that have arisen as a result of the tremendous shocks to our economy and the distribution of services as a result of what has happened with COVID-19. Now, I applaud their work. I think they are doing absolutely amazing work. When I called them and asked them to do this, I said, 'I need you to serve your country.' And they are serving our country, and this House should be very proud of their service.
Economy
Mrs WICKS (Robertson) (14:19): My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer explain to the House how the Morrison government's economic support packages have been saving jobs and supporting livelihoods, including in my electorate of Robertson?
Mr FRYDENBERG (Kooyong—Treasurer) (14:19): I thank the member for Robertson for her question and acknowledge that prior to coming to this place she was a schoolteacher, she's an active lifesaver and she cares deeply about her constituents. She's also a strong believer in the importance of the JobKeeper program and the other measures that we have announced to support Australians at this difficult time. Today's unemployment numbers are starting to reveal the real economic impact—the painful economic impact—that the coronavirus is having, with some 594,000 fewer people in work and an unemployment rate at 6.2 per cent. These are our neighbours. These are our family members. These are our friends. These are workmates. People are really struggling economically, worried about their job security and worried about their economic future at this time.
That is why the Morrison government has announced over $320 billion worth of financial support at this critical time. This includes the jobseeker coronavirus supplement of $550, a 50 per cent wage subsidy for apprentices and the JobKeeper program, at $130 billion. And it is helping people right across this country, like Michael, who runs a local cafe in Gosford: South End Social. He's put his staff on JobKeeper and he's said the following: 'Without the JobKeeper payment, my cafe would still be closed and I would have had to let go of my hardworking staff. It's the sole reason I am able to keep the cafe open and running today. The day that this payment was announced, I and many other people in the hospitality sector breathed a huge sigh of relief, knowing that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.' Tim runs the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby and said, 'We can't stop having staff here to facilitate, to feed and to care for our animals, but the JobKeeper payment has been a game changer and means the impact to our business has been so radically reduced.'
These are the practical examples. These are the real-life stories of Australians and their businesses who are being saved by the JobKeeper package. While others may seek to be negative and talk down the Australian economy, we are getting on with the job of helping Australians through this difficult time. We know that Australian families are struggling. We know that Australian businesses are doing it tough. But their government has their back.
COVID-19: Aviation Industry
Ms CATHERINE KING (Ballarat) (14:22): My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has said that the government will not provide assistance to Virgin airlines because the government would only take a sector-wide approach. Why, then, has the government provided nearly $54 million in an untied cash grant to majority foreign owned Rex airlines, which employs around a thousand workers, but no equivalent support for Virgin, which employs almost 10,000 workers?
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina—Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure,Transport and Regional Development and Leader of the Nationals) (14:23): I thank the member for Ballarat.
Dr Chalmers interjecting—
Ms Catherine King interjecting—
Mr McCORMACK: Finished? Can I get on with my answer? Do you want to hear the answer?
The SPEAKER: The Deputy Prime Minister will pause for a second. The member for Rankin has already been warned. There's no need to walk. No more. It takes a lot to get thrown out at this point in time, but I haven't forgotten how to do it. And the member for Ballarat, having asked her question, will not then try and conduct a conversation across the table.
Mr McCORMACK: I thank the shadow minister for infrastructure and transport for her question. We have committed more than $1.2 billion of support to cushion the aviation industry. It's been very, very hard hit by COVID-19. It has been very hard hit. Virgin Australia went into COVID-19 and they were doing it tough. Aviation is a tough industry. The margins are small, and they need to be their best selves. We want to see two commercially viable airlines coming out of the back of COVID-19. I'm sure I share that view with every member of the House. I'm sure I do.
Any assistance we have provided to aviation has been sector wide. Yes, Regional Express Airlines has benefited from the $1.2 billion of sector-wide support. Yes, they have benefited from the $100 million underwriting. Yes, they have benefited from the $198 million that we've provided for regional airlines to service those 138 communities which but for Rex, but for QantasLink, but for Virgin and but for those other fine regional airlines which fly into those country centres would not have been serviced. Some of those country centres would not have been receiving frontline medical personnel. Some of those regional centres would not have been provided with personal protection equipment. Some of those regional services would not have been provided with the face masks that they received thanks—
Mr Albanese: Point of order: the question goes to the untied cash grant of $54 million, and he hasn't referred to it at all.
The SPEAKER: The Deputy Prime Minister has the call. I'll listen carefully to him as he answers the question.
Mr McCORMACK: We are supporting each and every airline through our sector-wide assistance. We are supporting Rex, yes. We are supporting Qantas, yes. We are supporting, very much, Virgin. And we're very pleased that for Virgin there are potentially 19 investors—in fact, potentially even more. Of course, tomorrow the preliminary bids as part of the voluntary administration process—about which I spoke to Paul Scurrah, the CEO of Virgin, this week—are going through, and we've appointed Nicholas Moore to liaise with the voluntary administrators. He's reporting back to Treasury. He's reporting back to me. We want to make sure that we have two commercially viable airlines through this. I'm sure that is the view of everybody in this House.
All of those airlines are supporting workers. There have been many, many workers from Virgin who have contacted me, and I am writing back and personally signing each and every one of those bits of correspondence.
An opposition member interjecting—
Mr McCORMACK: Yes, each and every one because they are important to me, as I'm sure they're important to you. We want those jobs. Ten thousand people work for Virgin. I want to make sure that, through this process, as many of those workers still have a job, and I'm sure that view is shared.
The SPEAKER: The Deputy Prime Minister's time has concluded. The member for Ballarat, seeking to table a document.
Ms Catherine King: I seek leave to table an extract from the government's GrantConnect website showing the funding received by Rex of $54 million under the Regional Airlines Funding Assistance Program, which is not being made available to Virgin Australia.
The SPEAKER: The Leader of the House, I think, is just about to pre-empt me.
Mr Porter: Leave is not granted.
The SPEAKER: I was just going to say, when things are publicly and widely available, leave isn't given. I don't even ask for leave. By virtue of the way you described it as being on a public website, you sort of answered your own question on that.
COVID-19
Ms FLINT (Boothby—Government Whip) (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is investing in Australian research to find a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19?
Mr HUNT (Flinders—Minister for Health and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Cabinet) (14:28): I want to thank the member for Boothby in particular for her work in helping to secure the funding of $30 million for the brain and spinal rehabilitation unit at the Repat Centre, which will make a real difference to both treatment and research on medical grounds in her own electorate. I also want to say to the people of South Australia well done: one case in seven days. There's one continuing case across the whole of the state that has not recovered so far. That's part of the Australian success story with regard to coronavirus. But the world will not be fully successful until we have a long-term solution. So, whilst Australia is making enormous progress, one of the things we have to do is work with our amazing research community on vaccines, antivirals, respiratory medicines—all of the different things that can assist with finding a way out of the general challenge provided by COVID-19. As part of that, the Prime Minister announced last week a total Australian contribution of $352 million to the international pledging conference, including $15 million for the work of CEPI, the international coalition for epidemic preparedness. Within Australia in particular there's $230 million for the CSIRO's Centre for Disease Preparedness, an important initiative which will equip Australia to be in an even stronger position going forwards.
Within the Medical Research Future Fund there's $36 million which is supporting cutting-edge Australian research. On vaccines in particular we can see that there are a number of Australian universities making progress. We have already sponsored the work of the University of Queensland, the Doherty institute and the CSIRO with $3 million on very promising vaccine work. Others are in an application process, including Flinders University which is within the member's own electorate—I believe the member for Boothby is a graduate of that university. The Burnet Institute, Monash and Westmead institute are great Australian medical research centres. The work on antivirus is being sponsored with $8 million, including $3 million towards the Walter and Eliza Hall institute—in my home city of Melbourne—where they are leading a national clinical trial on the preventative capabilities of hydroxychloroquine. Then there's the work on antivirals where $5 million is available. All of this is about long-term preparedness, giving Australia the path back, as well as building on our world-class health and medical research sector to, ultimately, save lives and protect lives.
JobKeeper Payment
Mr BURKE (Watson—Manager of Opposition Business) (14:31): My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer explain why a 20-year-old working one shift per week at a clothes store and living at home receives the full $1,500 JobKeeper wage subsidy but arts and entertainment workers who work gig to gig and event to event are excluded?
Mr FRYDENBERG (Kooyong—Treasurer) (14:31): The reality is we've set out a wage subsidy program at $1,500, a flat rate, so that if you earned more you wouldn't get a greater wage subsidy from the government. That was the program that we set out. In terms of who it covers it was very clear. It would cover full-time workers; it would cover part-time workers; it would cover long-term casuals, based on the established understanding in the Fair Work Act; it would cover sole traders and the not-for-profit sector.
When it comes to the arts sector we've announced a number of particular initiatives to support that sector at this difficult time. But I would like the House to acknowledge some six million workers are now covered by the JobKeeper payments, based on the 860,000 businesses that have enrolled. If you add that to the 1.6 million Australians who are covered by the jobseeker payment that's more than half the workforce—six million, plus 1.6 million is 7.6 million—when you consider the Australian labour force today is 13.2 million.
COVID-19: Drought
Mr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management. Will the minister please inform the House how the Morrison government continues to support farmers and communities affected by drought during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Mr LITTLEPROUD (Maranoa—Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management and Deputy Leader of the National Party) (14:33): I thank the member for Grey for his question. He knows, probably better than anyone, the impacts this drought has had on his community as it spread like a cancer from Queensland right across this country. Despite COVID-19 we continue to focus on those communities and farmers affected by drought through our national drought strategy with three distinct pillars. The first is about the here and now. The second is about the community to support the famers. The third is about the future. The here and now is very important. It's about keeping bread and butter on peoples' tables during these tough times. It is getting farmers through. We have the Farm Household Allowance that does that and, in fact, we lifted that in line with the COVID response. That payment now matches the jobseeker payment to ensure those farming families don't miss out.
We have also worked with the Regional Investment Corporation to specifically create a new product: drought loans, which means that farmers can refinance up to $2 million of their existing debt from their bank to the Regional Investment Corporation and pay no interest and no repayments for two years. It's up to $120,000 on six per cent. That's taking it out of big banks' pockets and putting it back in farmers' pockets and putting it back in communities' pockets, because that gets spent. We thought about how we're going to get these farmers through and it is also about their opportunity to replant and restock out of that as well, because cash flows take time to recover after drought.
We've got to support communities in the second pillar, and that is very important because the drought extends past the farm gate and into the communities that support them. We've put out a stimulus through the Drought Communities Program, stimulating economic development in these communities with a million dollars going to these councils to do shovel-ready projects that'll get tradies going and procuring local materials out at the local hardware stores.
In the next week or so we will also be announcing an extra $200 million under the Building Better Regions Fund, specifically for drought communities not just to get the community through the drought but to create new jobs. We haven't stood still. We're looking to the future. That's the third pillar. The third pillar is quite important. We are first government in our nation's history to think about the next drought while we are tackling the existing one, because the next drought starts the very first day after it stops raining and that's important to understand. That's been through a suite of measures. Part of the economic stimulus are things like dog fencing. The member for Grey would know firsthand, as he has been a champion of dog fencing, what that does. It builds the resilience in the future of sheep particularly. Bringing sheep back into the communities is very important, because invariably that brings shearers back and shearers are probably one of the best groups of people to leave a few dollars in town after they have been there.
The next biggest tranche will come into effect on 1 July when the Future Drought Fund will pay its first legislated dividend. It will look to the future in ensuring we build the resilience of these communities with programs that support them and build resilience for the future. We the first government to say, 'We need to understand that droughts will come again and we need to prepare our communities for that.' We will stand with our farmers all the way through— (Time expired)
JobKeeper Payment
Ms TEMPLEMAN (Macquarie) (14:36): My question is to the Treasurer. Here's a real-life story. Scott works in theatre and lives in my electorate. He was due to start a 3½ year, full-time contract in May on the stage production Frozen. He is not eligible for JobKeeper because he is casual with less than 12 months experience and his future contract is not taken into account. Why has the government left Scott and 600,000 other Australians behind?
Mr FRYDENBERG (Kooyong—Treasurer) (14:36): Well, we've absolutely taken Scott into account, with an effective doubling of Newstart and the $550 Jobseeker coronavirus supplement. At $1,100, this is effectively a doubling of that safety net that was previously in place. As the honourable member will know, some six million Australians are now covered by the businesses that are formally enrolled for the JobKeeper payment, together with the 1.6 million who are on the Jobseeker payment. So we're talking about over half of the Australian workforce.
I could also let the honourable member know that through the PM's work, through the National Cabinet—the work of the premiers and the chief ministers—they've set out a three-stage framework for lifting the restrictions. Treasury have forecast that the benefit to the economy and to jobs from lifting those restrictions, based on the health advice, will be some 850,000 jobs and $9.4 billion to the economy. In relation to those who work in the arts and recreation sector, if those three stages are followed through, 76,000 jobs will be created, or people will get back to work, in that particular sector. And when you look at opening pubs, cafes, entertainment venues and other venues, you're looking at a $2.4 billion dividend to the Australian economy.
We know that we needed to put in place temporary, targeted, proportionate measures in response to the biggest economic shock Australia has ever seen—$320 billion, or 16.4 per cent of GDP. This is a very substantial commitment, as is required at this very difficult time. But there are stories right across this country, some that I've repeated in this House today and yesterday, where our JobKeeper program and our Jobseeker program are saving lives and livelihoods.
COVID-19: National Security
Ms BELL (Moncrieff) (14:39): My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Will the minister outline to the House border measures the Morrison government has put in place to protect Australians from the COVID-19 pandemic? And how are the dedicated staff at Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force working to keep Australians safe?
Mr DUTTON (Dickson—Minister for Home Affairs) (14:39): I want to say thank you very much to the member for Moncrieff and start by acknowledging the wonderful work that she's done at Southport, where through her advocacy she's been able to encourage the government to open another border clearance station, which will bring a lot of jobs and economic activity to the Gold Coast. It really is a very good outcome.
All of us are incredibly proud of the work that the men and women of the Australian Border Force have done at our borders over the course of the last couple of months. They're exceptional law enforcement officers, and they have represented our government—our country—very well, and I think their families should be very proud of the work that those individuals have done. They've contributed to the safety of our country and they've contributed to the health outcome that we've been able to achieve through this pandemic.
In addition to that, I want to pay tribute to the officers at the Department of Home Affairs, many of whom have been involved in all different aspects of the Home Affairs response to this pandemic and also many who have gone across to Services Australia and to other government departments to try to supplement the support there to provide early access to payments for Australians who are in need. Also I want to make mention of the Australian Federal Police officers who around the country have been involved in frontline services, in particular almost 100 officers who have gone to the Northern Territory to provide support to the Northern Territory police to help protect Indigenous communities from the COVID virus there. They've been incredibly successful, and I really pay tribute to them.
In this week last year we had about 363,000 people who arrived by air into our country. Over the last seven days, 6,112 people have arrived. There's been a 98 per cent downturn, which has been a significant change for the Australian Border Force workload, and many of those officers now have been able to go into other parts of the Border Force business. For example, they've gone into looking at ways in which we can reduce inbound contraband. They've done a lot of work in outbound as well, and they have detected, heading out from our country, about 450,000 face masks. They have detected 142 consignments containing over 9,000 units of hand sanitiser. At a time in this pandemic when we had shortages here in our country, we wanted to make sure that we could divert that product that was being sent overseas back for the use of Australians through the National Stockpile. They have been incredibly successful and, again, they should be very proud of the work they've been able to do.
So, I thank them for their service. I say to all Australians that we should be very grateful for the way in which they quickly enacted the government's direction to close our borders. It was done in a very short period of time—one of the first nations of the world to do so. And it has directly resulted in the amazing outcomes we've been able to achieve for our country.
JobKeeper Payment
Ms MURPHY (Dunkley) (14:42): My question is to the Treasurer. The Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre in my electorate employs approximately 300 people. None of them are eligible for the JobKeeper wage subsidy. Why have they and 600,000 other Australians been deliberately left behind?
Mr FRYDENBERG (Kooyong—Treasurer) (14:43): The particular organisation that the honourable member refers to may indeed be a creature of local government. Now, if it's a creature of local government, it was very clearly set out in the eligibility criteria that local government are creatures of state governments, and state governments have their own balance sheets, and state governments have their own ability to support the staff and the businesses and the organisations like the one referred to. As the Prime Minister points out, the New South Wales government made an announcement in relation to local-government-run childcare centres.
The reality is, this JobKeeper program, with now over 860,000 businesses formally enrolled, is supporting some six million workers—some in the not-for-profit sector, others who are sole traders, others who are part-time or full-time workers or long-term casuals. When you combine that with the Jobseeker program, with the 1.6 million who are on that, you've got a combination of 7.6 million workers. That's out of a total labour force of 13.2 million. The best way that we can get people back into jobs is to continue to grow the economy, to follow the health advice and to ease the restrictions and, as Treasury forecasts, some 850,000 people will be back in jobs as a result of those stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3 lifting of restrictions as agreed by National Cabinet. That includes many workers in recreational centres, in gyms and in swimming centres and the like. I suggest that the honourable member lobbies the Labor state government in Victoria.
Defence Procurement
Mr VAN MANEN (Forde—Chief Government Whip) (14:45): My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government is supporting Australian small business through the defence supply chain?
Ms PRICE (Durack—Minister for Defence Industry) (14:45): Thank you very much to the member for Forde for his question. I just want to note his great passion for the defence industry. It reminds me of some very wonderful visits that I've had to Forde to visit Australian defence industry small businesses. One in particular, PWR, is a wonderful example of an Australian business which produces advanced cooling systems. Nine out of 10 Formula One teams use that system, so it is indeed very capable.
During this COVID-19 period it's been critical that we have been able to keep the wheels of defence industry small businesses turning—those 15,000 businesses dotted across the whole of the country, together with those 70,000 employees. What we have done to keep small business strong is to focus very much on ensuring that they are paid as early as possible. As we know, cash flow has been critical, not just to small business but to big business. So well done to the defence department and CASG. By and large, we've paid a lot of those invoices early. Since late March, we've paid around 100,000 invoices—some $6 billion in invoices, and some 4.5 of that was indeed early. Most of those payments go directly to the primes, but we've worked with the primes to ensure that they have their own processes in place to ensure that they then pay the smaller contractors. It really has been a remarkable effort on behalf of all of the industry.
The other thing that we've been focusing on is estate works. We've identified around $870 million worth of estate works that we can bring forward, which of course is a great boon for our construction companies. One of the benefits with respect to COVID-19 has been the restrictions to state borders. What this has meant is that many of the local subbies—say, the local plumber or the local electrician—who, ordinarily, wouldn't get a go at some of these bases, have indeed had an opportunity to get some of that work. Long may that continue!
We remain focused on capability. Recently I had the pleasure, together with the Minister of Defence, of announcing a new $350 million project with respect to six new Cape class patrol vessels by Austal in Western Australia, saving thousands of jobs and also saving hundreds of small businesses in their supply chain. During this period it has been critical to have a high level of engagement and communication. Every week I've been speaking to all of the primes, industry groups and Master Builders, and I want to thank them for their cooperation and their collaboration. Without us understanding what their problems were on a daily basis it would have been difficult for us, as I said, to keep the show on the road.
So, together with our payment of early invoices and JobKeeper, I'm absolutely sure that we have saved thousands of jobs. I just want to thank the Australian defence industry for all their—
The SPEAKER: The minister's time has concluded.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
Mr BUTLER (Hindmarsh—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business) (14:48): My question is to the Minister for Emissions Reduction and Energy. Last year, the House was assured that the minister would fully cooperate with the New South Wales Police Force's Strike Force Garrad investigation, but the New South Wales police have given evidence to the New South Wales parliament that the minister rejected an interview request. Why did the minister promise the House that he would cooperate with the investigation but then refuse to be interviewed by the New South Wales police?
The SPEAKER: Just before I call the minister, perhaps I'll hear from the Leader of the House. I just need to be convinced—
Honourable members interjecting—
The SPEAKER: Alright—I can rule on it whenever you're ready. I have made the point that when it comes to ministerial responsibilities, certainly, questions can't be asked about policy areas for which the minister is not responsible. They can be asked about a minister's previous answer. But, as I've made clear, that's been referring to the minister's previous answer. I'll hear from the Leader of the House on it—sorry, from the Manager of Opposition Business on it.
Mr Burke: Mr Speaker, while it doesn't use the term 'answer' it refers to an assurance that the minister gave to the House. Ministers have a responsibility to the House when they provide that information, and for us to be able to test—
The SPEAKER: Yes, that's okay. I'll call the minister.
Mr TAYLOR (Hume—Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) (14:50): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Of course, I didn't refuse an interview with the New South Wales police. And, as the New South Wales police have said in their responses to questions on notice in the New South Wales parliament, we replied, answered questions and provided documentation.
I remind those opposite that they made this political police referral last year and, since then, the New South Wales police have considered and closed this matter. The AFP have considered and closed this matter, and the commissioner, no less, has said that the matter is finalised—full stop. So I'm getting on with protecting lives and livelihoods, as should those opposite.
Mining
Dr WEBSTER (Mallee) (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia. Will the minister update the House on the resilience of the Australian resource sector in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic? And will the minister outline what this government is doing to ensure the sector helps power Australia into economic recovery?
Mr PITT (Hinkler—Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for her question. The people of Mallee pulled the right rein when they elected the member in 2019. She is wearing a track in the carpet to my office, fighting for mineral sands and resources in her electorate and clearly understands that agriculture and resources can cohabit and can be effective. It has been a fantastic effort by the member for Mallee. I want to be very clear on this for all of those individuals who are out there working in the resources sector: the Morrison-McCormack government is absolutely committed to the success of our resources sector, and we will do what is needed to ensure they continue that success. They are delivering for our economy. Mr Speaker, as I'm sure you would know, it is one of the few areas of our economy that continues to have a green light. That did not happen by accident. I want to point out that my opposites, the shadow ministers, did reach across the aisle. We have worked closely where it has been necessary. Also, my state counterparts, quite simply, put aside the red team and the blue team, and, as the Prime Minister said, we are all in the green-and-gold tracksuit.
The work continues. The resources sector have been magnificent in their response. They have been magnificent. To the workers out there in their hi-vis and steelcap boots, whether it's the unions or their organisers or representatives, whether it is the companies or the industry bodies, they have been magnificent. They have done what is necessary. They have improvised. They have adapted. They have overcome. They will continue to work for this country. They'll continue to be employed. They'll continue to export those great products right around the world. People like BHP, 'the Big Australian', should be absolutely applauded for their efforts. They've employed hundreds of additional Australians in essential roles and they will continue to do so over the next six months. Arrow Energy, for example, have announced they will develop their Surat gas project during the pandemic. That is an indication of confidence, and long may it continue.
As I said, the member's interest is in the mineral sands industry in her electorate. It is part of Australia's critical minerals agenda. I continue with business as usual, working with our counterparts right around the world. In fact, I've had teleconferences with my opposite number in Japan and my opposite number in the US. I've particularly focused on critical minerals because they will be a strategic supply chain into the future. But we must continue our work around reducing red and green tape for our sectors to be successful.
Once again, I want to place on record the parliament's thanks, my thanks, the people's thanks, for the work the resources workers have done. They have moved. They have spent longer periods of time away from their families. They have done what is necessary because, quite simply, they had to. They should be proud of themselves and what they have done, and long may it continue.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
Mr BUTLER (Hindmarsh—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business) (14:54): My question is again to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. On 24 October last year, in answer to a question, the minister told the House that a document with fake numbers was drawn from the City of Sydney website, but New South Wales police told the New South Wales parliament that they found no evidence that the minister's office downloaded the annual report from the City of Sydney's website. Does the minister stand by his statement to the House? Why won't the minister tell the House where the document came from?
Mr TAYLOR (Hume—Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) (14:55): I do stand by the statement I made on 25 October—that the document was accessed from the City of Sydney website.
Honourable members interjecting—
The SPEAKER: Minister, just pause for a second. The member for Shortland and others will cease interjecting. I'm trying to listen to the minister's answer. The minister has the call.
Mr TAYLOR: Let me read from the department's evidence, which was made public in January, four months ago: 'The department did ascertain that the City of Sydney's website was accessed by the minister's office on 9 September 2019. The department's system allows individuals to directly print from the website.' This matter was the ninth political referral from those opposite, and, in keeping with the previous eight, the matter was considered and closed, not once, but twice. As the commissioner said, the matter is finalised, full stop. I'm getting on with protecting lives and livelihoods, because I know that a strong Australia coming out of the COVID-19 crisis requires a secure and reliable supply of energy, liquid fuels, gas and electricity. That's what I'm focusing on every day. Those opposite should do the same.
COVID-19: People with Disability
Mr PEARCE (Braddon) (14:56): My question is to the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Minister for Government Services. Will the minister outline to the House the measurers the Morrison government has implemented to support people with a disability throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
Mr ROBERT (Fadden—Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services ) (14:56): I thank the member for Braddon for his question and all his hard work supporting almost 2,000 participants in his electorate. The Morrison government moved quickly when the crisis came upon us. In early March, the government convened the first of a number of emergency Disability Reform Council, DRC, meetings, where all state and territory ministers collectively got together to work through our national response. Out of that first meeting, on 18 March, $1.1 billion worth of measures was agreed by all state and territory ministers and the Commonwealth. Two key components of that initial stage included: one allowing providers to bill forward one month's worth of their invoicing to ensure they had the necessary cash flow, and also adding a 10 per cent loading onto core support activities so that participants would have the knowledge that any support being provided to them was cognisant of and included anything that was required to assist with the COVID-19 spread. This built on the $320 billion worth of assistance that all arms of government have provided in response to this extraordinary circumstance. Further DRC meetings across April and May announced a range of measures, including extending plans up to 24 months, greater flexibility for participants across their plans, ensuring continuity of support, and increased capacity of NDIA staff to focus on urgent and required changes. We moved to phone planning. We are reaching out to 62,000 vulnerable participants to ensure they're getting the services they need. Priority access has been arranged through the major supermarkets for delivery of groceries. We made changes to supported independent living to deal with any potential vacancies; temporarily increased the flexibility for participants to purchase low-cost assistive technology items, including smart devices so that they could access innovative applications from home; and, of course, allocated over half a million PPE masks to the sector.
It is incredibly pleasing to see the very low level of notification for participants and support workers relating to COVID-19 infections. We've also seen weekly provider payments remain steady, demonstrating that the NDIS market has responded well to the pandemic. The quarterly report to the end of March 2020, which was released this week, has also shown that 27½ thousand new participants have joined the NDIS this quarter, with nearly 365,000 people now being supported across Australia. Most pleasingly, despite COVID-19, we've seen significant improvements across all areas of timely support through the scheme. I thank everyone in the House and all members who have worked steadily in their areas to care for people with disability.
Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program
Mr MARLES (Corio—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:00): My question is to the Prime Minister. Why did the Prime Minister tell the House yesterday, about his sports rorts scheme, 'The only authority sought from the Prime Minister's office and for myself was in relation to announcements,' when the Audit Office found the Prime Minister's office told Senator McKenzie's office, 'It was expected that the minister would write to the Prime Minister to seek authority on the approved projects and inform the Prime Minister of the rollout plan'?
Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (15:00): I said it because it was true.
COVID-19: Indigenous Australians
Mr STEVENS (Sturt) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. Will the minister update the House on how the Morrison government is supporting Indigenous communities through the COVID-19 pandemic?
Mr WYATT (Hasluck—Minister for Indigenous Australians) (15:00): I thank the member for Sturt for his question and his ongoing interest in this issue. As all of us in this chamber know, the most vulnerable section of our community are Indigenous Australians. So, right from the beginning, we worked with elders, leaders and peak organisations. Working with my colleague Greg Hunt, we used the Biosecurity Act to define secure areas for remote communities in order to isolate them from people bringing COVID-19 in. One of the best expressions I heard was from an elder who said, 'This thing has no songline, and we don't want to create a songline that brings death.' The Indigenous leadership, at every level, stood up. When I look at the figures, there are only 59 known COVID cases in a population of 800,000. That represents less than one per cent of the total number of COVID cases in Australia. With the interventions that we put into place, the biosecurity measure in terms of COVID-19 testing, Minister Hunt provided $3.3 million, in conjunction with his Indigenous advisory body, to key sites around Australia where point-of-care testing would be immediate, and then we could take the relevant steps to isolate those communities at high risk.
The other intervention that was important was ensuring food security. The National Indigenous Australians Agency worked very closely with food supply chains in order to make sure that we had guaranteed food supplies, even in the most remote communities' stores. I want to acknowledge Metcash, Woolworths and Coles for joining with all of our stores in providing that continuous supply. With the first tranche of funding, we saw a 350 per cent increase by Indigenous communities in purchasing food, hygiene and cleaning products, so that measure was an important measure, and stores were able to cope with that. In addition, we provided funding for people to return to outstations in the Northern Territory, because a lot of people said they were more secure by going to their communities. The combined efforts over a number of initiatives have resulted in that low figure. I also want to acknowledge my colleague Peter Dutton, the Minister for Home Affairs, because we jointly signed a letter to guarantee food supplies from the food suppliers at the point of delivery, and that made a difference.
I want to, on behalf of this parliament, thank all Indigenous leaders at every level for showing the leadership to make a difference at the community level and to have an impact that saw an incredibly low level of impact. But we cannot take our eyes off the ball, because there is still a possibility.
Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program
Mr MARLES (Corio—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:04): My question is again to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's earlier answer, such as it was. Why did the Prime Minister's office want sports rorts grants sent to the coalition's campaign headquarters? Is there any aspect of this program that wasn't rorted?
Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (15:04): I can only assist the member by referring to the many responses I've given to this matter. It was very clear that the authority for making the decisions on this matter was the minister for sport. Publicly released guidance clearly stated that the minister was the final decision-maker and could take into account many other issues. That's how the process was run. Today, we heard information released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that almost 600,000 Australians have lost their jobs. That's where my focus is. I will leave the Australian people—
Opposition members interjecting—
Mr MORRISON: leave it to their judgement to see where the opposition's focus is.
COVID-19: Anzac Day
Mr HASTIE (Canning) (15:05): My question is to the Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans' Affairs. Will the minister update the House on how Australians commemorated our veterans and our servicemen and servicewomen this past Anzac Day?
Mr CHESTER (Gippsland—Deputy Leader of the House, Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:05): I thank the member for Canning for his question and recognise his service to our nation in uniform. Mr Speaker, as you're well aware and every member in this place is well aware, Anzac Day is one of the most important days on our national calendar. Typically, we gather in large numbers to commemorate the service, the sacrifice, the courage and the resilience of the original Anzacs. But, this year, unfortunately, we couldn't gather in those sorts of numbers. We were required, through social distancing rules, to pay our own respects in our own private way. I've got to say, just like the original Anzacs, Australians proved incredibly innovative on Anzac Day this year. It brought us all great joy to see our fellow countrymen gather on their front doorsteps, in their driveways and at the front of paddocks, some of them playing the Last Post on bugles. I heard the Last Post played on electric guitar for the first time, in my own community. It was incredible to see the way the Australian People still wanted to commemorate the fallen on Anzac Day this year.
The national service, as televised from the Australian War Memorial this year, attracted a viewing audience in excess of 1.8 million people. I want to thank the Prime Minister, the Governor-General, the opposition leader, Wing Commander Sharon Brown, Repatriation Commissioner Don Spinks, Junior Legatee Stephanie Kindness and all those who were able to attend and show respectful consideration to all those who served, both today and in the past. I also want to thank the Australian War Memorial itself for hosting the event in difficult circumstances and my own department, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, for the way it conducted the commemorative activities.
In just a couple of months time we will gather again for a major commemorative event. This year 15 August marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. We're hoping that the social-distancing rules will allow larger gatherings, but we are working with the veteran community. I'll be keeping members informed of the opportunities to participate in that commemoration as the time draws closer.
On a sadder note, today I would like to pay my respects on behalf of the parliament and acknowledge the passing of a true friend of Australia Dr Patrick Simon AO. As Mayor of Villers-Bretonneux in northern France, which is obviously close to many of the memorial sites that Australians visit, Dr Simon continued the tradition of the annual Anzac Day service in Villers-Bretonneux and was extraordinarily important in the renovation of the Franco-Australian First World War museum in Villers-Bretonneux. He was a strong supporter of and outstanding voice for the establishment of the Sir John Monash Centre. He always provided a very warm, incredibly friendly and hospitable welcome to any travelling Australians in his region. He was a very proud Frenchman but he was also very proud of his Australian links. Dr Simon was awarded the Honorary Order of Australia in 2015. He'll be sadly missed. He fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic. May he rest in peace.
Honourable members: Hear, hear!
Mr Morrison: Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper .
Mr Burke: Mr Speaker—
The SPEAKER: I say to the Manager of Opposition Business that I'm happy to hear his point, but while he does that I'll get out the page of Practice that I regularly refer to.
Mr Burke: I'm just raising the point, as you'd be aware, Mr Speaker, that ordinarily question time makes it through to 10 past three and the Prime Minister has called it off early.
The SPEAKER: If you have a look at the Practice, you'll find that it states very clearly—and I'm not going to detain the House—that the Prime Minister can ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper at any time during question time, including in the middle of someone asking a question. So he's completely in order. Having now done that, it's almost 10 past three.
QUESTIONS TO THE SPEAKER
COVID-19
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the Opposition) (15:09): I have a question for you, Mr Speaker, concerning the administration of the house. I'm sure that all members would join me in wanting to express appreciation of the staff of the parliamentary departments and contractors, particularly the cleaners, who have shouldered additional responsibilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joy and Lah are the cleaners in my office, and they're doing a great job. To keep us safe Joy is there at the front at 6 am every day cleaning every single one of the containers that go through the security system. Staff have worked longer hours and expanded the scope of that work to enable parliament to sit during this pandemic. To that end, I ask you, Mr Speaker, to consider when social-distancing and other measures allow, an appropriate form of recognition from the parliament for these hardworking and committed people and to liaise with the President of the Senate to ensure that such recognition is across the parliament for all the magnificent staff. I believe it will be a symbol of what's happening right around the country with cleaners and people who don't normally get a lot of recognition. They have kept us safe. They have served their country, and here we are being extremely well looked after.
The SPEAKER (15:11): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I agree with him very strongly. There are certainly many people in the building who have risen to the challenges presented by the current pandemic here in Parliament House, with the aim of keeping the parliament going and keeping the building occupants healthy, and that's been very important. They have ensured that the hundreds of people needing to work from home as well are able to do so. I certainly agree with the Leader of the Opposition that the cleaners have been doing an outstanding job. It's very visible to us, of course. I agree with him, as I said, very strongly. Given I've been asked the question, I'd like to take this opportunity to also talk about some of those who a lot of us don't see, those who aren't so visible, who have been working long hours behind the scenes. This will give you an appreciation of the great team effort from all of the staff within the building. There are those working on the COVID-19 Taskforce that comprises a mix of DPS staff from security, library, HR, communications, governance and property. Of course, there are those staff who I mentioned earlier in the week who volunteered to work at the Services Australia satellite centre here in Parliament House, processing forms for the millions of people so badly affected. They're doing that right now. The accommodation team has been assisting with social-distancing movements throughout the building and actually helping set up the Services Australia satellite centre.
The ICT team have been assisting with setting up thousands of users to work remotely and with the ICT set-up at the Services Australia satellite centre that I've mentioned. Just to give members an appreciation—and I'm glad to have received this question—between 1 March and 30 April ICT, which is known to all of us as 2020, fielded in excess of 13,500 phone calls and hundreds of emails and walk-ins. They have done a great job as well. What members won't know so much is that the catering team have been flexibly adapting to the restrictions and hygiene and have been assisting St Vincent de Paul to feed the homeless and those at risk in the ACT region.
I can assure the Leader of the Opposition and the House that, when the dust settles, absolutely there will be proper recognition. It is something of course that I will communicate to the President of the Senate, but it will be something we'll all do together as the houses.
In conclusion, I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work that DPS has done more generally in keeping building occupants informed of the changes that had to be made in response to the pandemic. In just over 2½ months there have been 21 circulars distributed covering COVID-19 preparedness, access restrictions, catering changes, extended services that are being provided, remote working access, remote access to IT and social-distancing measures. I thought I'd mention that and thank them for the work that has been done. I thank the Leader of the Opposition.
BUSINESS
Days and Hours of Meeting
Mr PORTER (Pearce—Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Leader of the House) (15:14): Mr Speaker, that is a perfect segue into the revised program of sittings. I'd like to join issue and thank all of those who are making parliament possible during these very challenging times. I note that, as these challenging times may well go on for some time, their recognition may get delayed in a formal sense, but that is the nature of the challenge that all Australians are facing. I am about to move the new revised program. I note that it will contain 65 days of sitting, should all go well, which compares very favourably to the total sitting days that have occurred in years when there hasn't been the experience of a serious pandemic such as we're facing at the moment.
I present the revised program for sittings for 2020. I understand that copies of the program have been placed on the table, and I ask leave of House to move that the program be agreed to.
Leave granted.
Mr PORTER: I thank the House and I move:
That the program of sittings for 2020 be agreed to.
Question agreed to.
Leave of Absence
Mr PORTER (Pearce—Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Leader of the House) (15:16): I move:
That leave of absence be given to every Member of the House of Representatives from the determination of this sitting of the House to the date of its next sitting.
Question agreed to.
DOCUMENTS
Presentation
Mr PORTER (Pearce—Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Leader of the House) (15:16): Documents are tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.
MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
COVID-19: Employment
The SPEAKER (15:17): I have received a letter from the honourable member for Gorton proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely:
The Government's ineffective responses to the problems in the labour market and failure to protect jobs, before, during, and after the COVID-19 crisis.
I call upon those members who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places.
More than the number of members required by the standing orders having risen in their places—
Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR (Gorton) (15:17): It is indeed a very difficult day for many, many Australians. The ABS has reported that, as of today—reflecting back, of course, to the first fortnight of last month—we've seen almost 600,000 jobs disappear from the labour market. The headline figure of 6.2 per cent sounds relatively modest in this climate, but the ABS itself has said:
Had the increase in the number of people who were not in the labour force (489,900) been a further increase in unemployment (that is, if they had been actively looking for work and been available to work) then the number of unemployed people would have increased to around 1.3 million people, and an unemployment rate would have increased to around 9.6%.
In effect, that's the real unemployment rate. It's the labour market of a month ago that we're dealing with. That's why Labor has been prosecuting the argument that we need to do better insofar as the JobKeeper package is concerned.
Let's be very clear. Let's remember exactly what happened. On 23 March, on behalf of Labor, I asked the Prime Minister why the government were not going to introduce a wage subsidy package, and the Prime Minister effectively said it wasn't necessary. Then they proceeded to close the parliament until August. It was only a week or so until they saw the long unemployment queues around every Centrelink office across the land, which had them bringing parliament back together. They convened the parliament two weeks later to introduce the JobKeeper package. When they announced the introduction of the JobKeeper package, we welcomed the announcement. We welcomed the change of heart and the change of mind. But we said then, and we say now, that there are design faults with the package which have left hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Australians worse off and indeed not protected. That's one of the reasons why we see such a very significant spike in job losses today when we look at the data reflecting on early April. That's why we'll continue to say to the government that they need to include many other classes of employees that have been completely and utterly left to their own devices and left really unsupported. That's why we say, for example, that there is a need to include casual employees in the labour market.
The situation is that we have sectors of our economy devastated by the pandemic. In many circumstances businesses were asked, of course quite rightly, to shut down for health purposes, and we support the decisions of governments to do that. But sectors where there is a very high proportion of casual employment are not getting the support they need. The fact is that sectors which have higher numbers of casuals are getting the least support, and they're the ones that need the most support. That effectively is a design flaw. Had you listened to the Treasurer and the Prime Minister today you would have thought that everything was fine. They effectively were suggesting that everything they've done is good enough and that, really, 600,000 job losses is, well, pretty good in the circumstances. Frankly, that is not good enough. That's not what the Australian public expect of their government. The fact is, we do not have to push people onto unemployment benefits. We do not have to push people out of the labour market.
The other concern that Labor has is the misunderstanding of the Treasurer, the Prime Minister and this government of what this wage subsidy means. It doesn't just mean supporting those workers; it means supporting those businesses. It's not good enough to say, 'We're providing jobseeker money to unemployed Australians,' instead of providing support for those workers. The fact is that, if you don't provide JobKeeper support and you don't provide wage subsidies for the workers in those industries most affected, the businesses collapse as well. We've got a situation where more businesses are hitting the wall because of a failure to support those workers. That's going to continue to happen, and they will not be able to get to the point where they survive the next few months as a result of the misunderstanding that the wage subsidy was to subsidise the workers and the businesses. Of course, jobseeker does none of that, so we have some grave concerns about the next few months. Already we're seeing so many people left out of the labour market. That's the other point: the fact that it's going to be much harder for people to return to employment, to return to the labour market, if they are unattached. That's quite tragic.
We've had a number of questions of the government today. Why is it that people in the arts community have been completely abandoned? Why is it that casual workers have been left without proper protection? Why is it that, therefore, the government hasn't been seeking to provide better support for those workers?
One of the other points that we've made is that this is not just something as a result of the pandemic. It is clear to say that this global pandemic has been devastating for many, many countries and it has certainly hit our economy, but we had the highest rate of underemployed Australians prior to the pandemic. In fact, if you look at the March figures you'd see that there was the highest number of underemployed Australians ever at 1.2 million. That figure of 1.2 million underemployed Australians has now gone up to 1.8 million. That's the highest increase we've seen since records have been brought together by the ABS. And we've seen a very significant fall in the participation rate—the biggest, again, since data has been collected. We think a lot of this could be avoided if they would take the suggestions of the opposition, of Labor, and include those workers in the package. That's what we continue to say, because this is only the beginning of what are going to be escalating increases in the unemployment rate. If you think about it, the rate that we're using at the moment is reflecting the labour market of the first fortnight of April. When we are looking at the job numbers in a month's time, I'm afraid to say, unless the government starts to properly consider Labor's concerns and proposals, we're going to see these numbers continue to rise throughout the next few months.
The other concern we have—and we're really asking the government to consider this—is: what is the government going to do with respect to the economy after 30 September? We've seen the Prime Minister walk away from his earlier phrase of 'snapback'. He effectively suggested some time ago that the economy was going to return to normal after a five-month period. Well that is not what leading economists believe. Nobody is forecasting a return to normal, and certainly no-one is seeing that economic likelihood. In fact, it would appear that this is going to be a very, very long challenge for this nation. The government has to start thinking about medium- and long-term ideas about protecting business, protecting the economy and protecting workers. But, to date, we have not heard one thing. In other words, there's going to be the complete contraction of public expenditure from 30 September—completely taken out of the economy—and somehow the economy is just going to survive without any form of support by public expenditure. That does not ring true.
We are concerned about a series of things which the government has to consider. Namely, broadening out the package to provide more support for workers. Indeed, it would have been better—of course, it's too late now—if the money had got to those workers and businesses earlier. It was too narrow. It has been too slow. Without more support for those workers who have been excluded, we're going to see these numbers continue to rise in June, July and August without any real guarantee that we're going to see some form of recovery. Labor are thinking about those things.
Labor are thinking about what we need to do during this crisis and what we'll need to do beyond the immediate challenges that we have. We have yet to hear any strategic plan by the government—a government that was not going to have a wages subsidy and a government that closed down the parliament until August but has had to bring us back. Now we have sittings for June as well, which we welcome, but the fact is that this government has been wrong footed on a number of occasions when it has come to responding to the needs of the economy. In this instance, they're still living down many, many Australians by not including them in the wage subsidy package. This is something they can fix.
The Treasurer has the power to broaden out the eligibility of the JobKeeper package, and that's what he should be doing today so that next month, when we see the job figures come out, we don't see another doubling of the losses that we've seen already in the first fortnight of April.
Mr PITT (Hinkler—Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia) (15:27): Can I say to the shadow minister, I'll start with what we agree on. What we agree on is that this is going to be a long-term challenge. There is no doubt about that. But the government is very conscious of just how extraordinary this situation is from a health perspective and of course in terms of the economic shock, which all Australians recognised and many have felt directly.
We have acted in a determined manner. We have acted quickly, and we are doing our best to not only be decisive but work towards a recovery. We've put forward a staged plan on how that should happen. On the economic front, this is quite straightforward. In a three-week period we announced three separate support packages, each complementary and each building on each other. Combined, they're the largest fiscal response in Australia's history. It's quite extraordinary what has had to be done, but it was necessary.
I acknowledge a number of the points made by the shadow minister, but, in life, if you wait for perfect, you'll wait forever. We have had to make some extraordinary decisions in a very short period of time. We could have, quite simply, waited for a year and got the response almost bang on perfect, but the reality was that we needed to act. The Australian people needed us to act, and act we did. It has been the largest and fastest injection of economic support our nation has ever seen. We are in extraordinary and exceptional circumstances.
Economic measures fall into three categories. It's support for households, support for business and employment, and support for the financial system. There is a level of uncertainty out there, and I know that you know, Mr Deputy Speaker O'Brien, just how difficult it is for the people in your electorate, as it is for mine, who find themselves in a situation that some weeks or months ago they would never have dreamt would occur to them. We are there to support them in what they want to do, and what they want to do is to be back at work. They want our economy on the move. They want opportunity to be returned, and we're doing everything we can to ensure that happens in a staged way, given the health situation that the country—and many other nations—finds itself in.
We have effectively doubled the unemployment benefit—doubled it!—with the introduction of the temporary $550 coronavirus supplement for jobseekers. We have waived the waiting period, we have adjusted mutual obligation requirements and we have expanded the partner income test. We're doing everything we possibly can to provide support for Australians in their time of need, and their time of need is now. There is no doubt about that.
We've announced two $750 cash payments, with the first payment, totalling $5.2 billion, going out from 31 March to more than seven million income support recipients, including pensioners, carers, veterans, those receiving family tax benefits and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders. We have worked with the banks and the prudential regulator, and we're trying to ensure that householders can get as much temporary relief from loan repayments as possible.
I note that the member for Rankin is in the room. I would say to the member for Rankin, as I say to others, that if you come from small business you get how this works. These are very difficult circumstances—you must rely on your line of credit, you must rely what cash you have in the bank and you must rely on the opportunities provided, particularly by the federal and state governments. Quite simply, we want every single business we can possibly manage to get through the current crisis, because it is they who will draw our economy forward, it is they who will provide jobs and it is they who will provide opportunities. And the best thing we can do for all businesses across this country is to provide confidence, and that is exactly what we're trying to do with the $130 billion JobKeeper program.
It provides a fortnightly payment of $1,500 to part-time and full-time employees, long-term casuals, sole traders and those working in the not-for-profit sector. Just how important is that? I'll give some examples from my local electorate. Bundaberg Travel Centre: clearly, someone involved in tourism, and we know that the tourism sector has found itself in an incredibly difficult situation, where it has lost international tourism. The people in my electorate, and I'm sure in your electorate, Mr Deputy Speaker O'Brien, know exactly how important this sector is. Without the JobKeeper payment they simply cannot maintain their employees.
Red Shed Seafood—Tony and Marguerite Mills—is retail and wholesale seafood. Some of the best in our country and in the world come from our electorates, Mr Deputy Speaker—from the regions on the east coast of Queensland. Most of them have found themselves overstocked. Their freezers are full, and I have reports of trawlers in rivers burning diesel simply to keep their freezers running. So while I'm on my feet and have the opportunity: if you want good Australian seafood get online, order it and have it delivered. Get it down to your house—take the opportunity; it'll never be cheaper than it is now. There is plenty of it, and each and every one of you should take that opportunity.
Staff at Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre provide local community services, whether for homelessness, with youth or in other community services. They're taking the option of the JobKeeper payment program to keep their employees out there, helping people in their time of need. I think that is absolutely critical. Tanya and the team are doing a great job.
What are other people saying? There is ACOSS—those great supporters of the coalition; they're always very much on our side! On 30 March Cassandra Goldie, the CEO of the Australian Council of Social Services, said:
We are particularly pleased to see the decision to extend the subsidy widely to all employers, including community sector and not for profit organisations that experience a sharp drop in revenue, …
Jennifer Westacott of the Business Council of Australia said on 31 March:
I think this is one of these country saving moments.
I'll go back to my answer from before: this is the green-and-gold tracksuit time. This is the time to get the crest on your chest and to support our nation in its time of need. We also have additional comments from the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
Today’s announcement demonstrates that Prime Minister Morrison and Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg are listening and acting to keep business in business and people in jobs.
Business in business and people in jobs. That has to be our focus. Sarah Davies from Philanthropy Australia said: 'Thank you, Josh Frydenberg, Zed Seselja and Scott Morrison. More support for job seekers, pensioners and the economically vulnerable. Great leadership today.'
These are some of the leaders in our community. We've heard from them and we know what it does for opportunities in our local businesses—particularly our small businesses. We know that the payment is 70 per cent of the median wage and that it's allowing people to maintain a base standard of living and to survive through this period of time—to get to the point where they can recover. It has been critical in terms of the activity of the government. There are now more than 835,000 businesses employing more than 5.5 million workers who are formally enrolled in the program—5½ million
I know, Mr Deputy Speaker, that you and others, and many in this chamber, have been horrified by the sight of people lined up at Centrelink in long queues in terrible circumstances—in difficult circumstances. We need to provide support for them, and we will continue to do that. There are over 450,000 small- and medium-sized businesses which have received over $8 billion under our cashflow boost program, and we have introduced a separate 50 per cent wage subsidy for 117,000 apprentices, helping to keep the local apprentice baker and hairdresser in work. As a former apprentice, I say, 'Hear, hear!' to that, but we need to do more. One of the great needs in our nation, moving forward, is to improve the level of skills and the availability of skilled workers in this country because, quite simply, we'll need them. Quite frankly, we will need them. We will need to work our way out of the current pandemic situation, for that's the only option we have. There is no magic bullet—there quite simply isn't. We'll need Australians to work hard and to improve their skills to have opportunities in jobs and to provide more projects and move ourselves forward.
Other measures include a $500 million loan facility to support exporters recapturing their market share, and the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund, with over $500 million already committed. We've had more than 80 regulatory changes and we're looking to plan and work our way out of the current restrictions. We have a clear plan, we have a clear framework and we are working with the states—whether that is through the national cabinet or otherwise—to try to move our economy forward.
There is a great risk, and everyone in this place knows what that risk is. It is that we have further breakouts of the pandemic—that we have a second wave. We're doing everything we can in terms of the health response to make sure we are prepared and that we can act quickly—that we can test extensively and provide the opportunity to shut down those breakouts when they occur. Quite frankly, they will occur. There is no doubt that they will occur in the future. But, as I said earlier, never, ever underestimate the ability of the Australian people to adapt. If we set the framework for them to be successful then they will make their decisions and the changes necessary for their businesses to move forward and to get themselves back to work.
A great example is the local barber in Bundaberg, who has been closed for some weeks. He has a very small facility. He has one chair and a couple of people inside. I went past last week and there were three guys sitting out the front. They were appropriately distanced. They were sitting in the sun. They had two inside and one in the chair. He has overcome, he has adapted and he has found a way. Many Australian businesses will do that because that is in their nature. It is the Australian way to deliver in times of toughness. They are resilient and they will continue to be so. We will continue to support them.
Ms CATHERINE KING (Ballarat) (15:37): The Morrison government's approach to aviation has been nothing short of inconsistent, as we saw in question time today, and absolutely chaotic. What that means is that it is costing thousands of Australians their jobs and putting at risk our nation's future recovery from the crisis, because it relies on a strong, two-airline aviation sector. Our nation's aviation industry has been brought to its knees because of the necessary travel restrictions imposed by governments in Australia and around the world to limit the spread of COVID-19. The crisis is no fault of workers, and they need government assistance. Labor has taken a bipartisan approach throughout the crisis, but bipartisanship does not mean staying silent when we think the government has got it wrong. When it comes to aviation jobs, the government has got it very wrong. The government needs a comprehensive plan for aviation to ensure the best outcome for both the travelling public and the thousands of workers whose jobs depend on a vibrant aviation industry. But, instead of saving the jobs of thousands of Australian workers in need, the government has, frankly, taken its hands off the wheel. It's saying, 'It is not a problem for us; the market's going to sort all this out.'
The aviation sector plays a critical role in the life of every Australian. Forty-five thousand Australians work directly for airlines in Australia and hundreds of thousands more work in related industries, including aviation and tourism. For years, our strong airline industry, underpinned by two major players in Qantas and Virgin Australia, has delivered affordable services that regularly reach all Australians. The government is allowing that to collapse. Last month, the Morrison government preferred to let Virgin Australia fall into administration rather than offer them assistance. Virgin Australia were not asking for a handout; they weren't after a bailout. They were asking the government either to guarantee a line of credit or to take an equity stake in the airline. Their last ask, just before going into administration, was for $100 million. When you consider that 16,000 direct jobs are on the line, not including the many thousands of workers along the supply chain that depend on Virgin, that wasn't a huge amount to ask for.
When Rex faced similar difficulties, the Morrison government stepped up to secure their cash flow, saving a thousand jobs. We don't begrudge that at all—1,000 jobs are incredibly important. But we saw in question time that the Deputy Prime Minister—the Prime Minister was not prepared to answer the question—has been prepared to give $54 million in an untied grant, no strings attached to it, in order to assist Rex airlines. That is on top of the $13 million they've received in fee relief and route subsidisation to ensure that they survive. Yet when Virgin, responsible for 16,000 workers, needed help, the government preferred to sit back and say it's not their problem and let Virgin and their workers go to the wall. For 1,000 Rex workers the government were prepared to help, but they've told the 16,000 Virgin workers, 'Under this government, frankly, you are on your own.'
The workers at Virgin Australia need help to get them through the process of administration, and the government's failings will do long-term damage to our country, as will the government's denial of assistance to those so many dnata workers. Dnata's 5,500 workers provide crucial ground handling, charter handling, cargo and logistics, and catering services to our aviation sector. All of these workers have skills and security clearances that ensure our aviation industry is able to function. But the government is denying them access to the JobKeeper payment, costing them their jobs. These workers were only excluded because the government made changes to the regulations that would have made them eligible. The government took this decision based not on the workers but on the ownership structure of dnata itself, and the way in which it has done that is an absolute absurdity. These are Australian workers, they live in Australia, they pay tax in Australia and they're Australian citizens. Every cent of JobKeeper that went to these Australian workers would go to their families and their communities. Not a cent would go to the company they work for. JobKeeper is supposed to be about making sure Australian workers can keep that connection with their job and we can get them out of this crisis and straight back into work. The average worker has no say over the ownership structure of dnata. The government and the Treasurer need to fix this now for the 5,500 dnata workers and their families that are relying on the government to do so. (Time expired)
Mr STEVENS (Sturt) (15:42): I have to say I find it absolutely unbelievable that we live in a time where we're comparing our economic circumstances and our economic challenges to the Great Depression. The fact is that if you turn on the news or read a newspaper people will say this is the greatest whatever-it-might-be since the Great Depression—the greatest drop in economic activity and the greatest drop in people's confidence and outlook. Merely two months ago we could never have possibly imagined that two months later we would be in this circumstance.
This coming Monday, on 18 May, is the one-year anniversary of the 2019 election. I never could have imagined as a new member of this parliament that, within the first year of serving in this parliament, we would have a challenge of the scale that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to this country and particularly this government. It is almost impossible to imagine how the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and the cabinet have been able to mount an unbelievable health response of the scale that was required to deal with the health challenges and an economic response of the scale that was required to deal with the economic challenges.
My electorate has the highest number of people of Italian heritage in the country. I remember looking a few months ago at the awful situation in Italy, a country much like others in Western Europe and North America that we compare our own country to as being a similarly advanced economy with an excellent health system and all that goes with that.
What could have come to this country, from a health point of view, was there to be seen, as we saw some of the other First World countries across the planet having this unbelievable health challenge come upon them. In many cases the response, from a health point of view, that they had to undertake was the complete lockdown of the economy. Thankfully, in this country, we were able to avoid having to go that far. Next door in New Zealand, they made the decision to go into full lockdown. There was a lot of gratuitous advice from all kinds of people saying we needed to go all the way to lockdown, to stage 4, as well. We were able to contain the health challenges that would have been brought about on our system without having to undertake complete economic shutdown of our economy. And when the history is written of this coronavirus and the way in which Australia rose to the challenge—the way we dealt with the health challenges but equally ensured that we put our economy in the best spot possible to recover—I think you'll find, when you compare us to our peers, that history will be very, very kind to Scott Morrison and the Liberal government for the leadership that we've provided.
The minister outlined the extent of the economic response of the government and how rapid it was. At the centre of that was the JobKeeper payment scheme. In my time in politics—not just as a member of parliament; in many ways I've been involved in politics my entire adult life—I've never had an experience where a government policy position has been so ubiquitously welcomed across the ideological divide, frankly. In my own electorate, and many other members would have had similar experiences talking to people in their communities, the number of people who were just so grateful for that policy decision and the certainty that it provided them, their livelihood, their business, was something that I've never experienced in public policy in my adult life. Again, when you compare that policy measure to the way in which other nations and our peers have made their economic decisions and responses, I think JobKeeper will be seen by history as one of the great economic responses to one of the greatest economic challenges in my life time, in our life time.
As I said when I commenced my remarks, it is phenomenal to live in a time when we're talking about comparing our current circumstance to the Great Depression. When I was a young boy and I talked to my grandparents, they'd talk about the Second World War. You'd think about these major events as if they were never going to occur in your life time—far from it. We have had an enormous challenge health wise, an enormous challenge economically. Our response has been exactly what was needed to provide confidence to the private sector and the economy of this country, and I'm very proud to be part of a government that's made those important decisions for our future.
Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (15:47): This won't be the first time I've stood in this place to talk about the government's failure to address unemployment in my region. This has been a problem for years, and those opposite have done nothing to address it. Well before coronavirus and even before bushfires, my electorate of Gilmore on the New South Wales South Coast had the lowest workforce participation rate in Australia. We had the highest youth unemployment in New South Wales and third-highest in the country.
But what has the government been doing to address this? Absolutely nothing. They have slashed penalty rates for Sundays and public holidays—something my predecessor told young people was 'a gift'. Well, two years after that gift, the Australia Institute found that employment growth in retail and hospitality has been far slower than in other parts of the economy where penalty rates remain constant. They found that jobs growth in these two sectors actually slowed by more than half after penalty rates began to fall. What a gift!
Let's explore some local examples of this. In the December quarter last year, before our raging bushfires, Nowra had an unemployment rate of 17.5 per cent. Ulladulla's unemployment rate was 9.3 per cent and Batemans Bay was 9.9 per cent. And what has the government done? Time after time those opposite stand in front of the cameras and make flashy announcements. They talk about all the ways they are helping country Australia. They talk about how they care and how they are listening, and then we find out there is nothing. There is nothing for the South Coast in drought package after drought package. There is nothing for Gilmore. Stimulus packages that sound promising won't be delivered for months, or even years.
During the bushfires I called for the government to do something to protect local jobs. I warned those opposite in early January about the unfolding economic crisis on the New South Wales South Coast. I told the stories of Rob from Robs Bait and Tackle, Simon from the Ulladulla Surf School, and Katrina from Caterina in Kangaroo Valley. They're just three small examples of the dozens I have. Each one told me, in the days and weeks following the bushfires, that they would go under without urgent help. They couldn't survive the lost income without the tourists and with no business. They would have to put off staff; they wouldn't be hiring, and they might not again.
I stood in this place on so many occasions to tell these stories and ask the government for help. It took until March, after months of them ignoring my calls, after months of saying there would be no cash injection, no direct help for businesses that had lost income. Finally, they took up my suggestion and provided $10,000 to those eligible businesses. But how many jobs were lost because this government didn't listen to what we were saying for months?
When coronavirus first started to take hold, Labor called for a wage subsidy. Those opposite said no. When they finally realised again that we were right, there was another sting in the tail for the South Coast. The JobKeeper payment will not be paid if you have been employed less than 12 months. In a seasonal economy like ours, ravaged by bushfires, that is totally inappropriate. Again, hundreds of locals miss out.
Only a fortnight ago, the government had another golden opportunity to boost our economy. The $50 million Manufacturing Modernisation Fund was announced by the Prime Minister in Gilmore, at NowChem, during the election campaign. Fantastic! But how much did Gilmore get? Only one small project for Nowchem—one project, when we already have some of the highest rates of unemployment in the country and have been hit so hard this year. Local companies missed out because the government chose to give only two per cent of funds under this program.
The government needs to get serious about creating local jobs on the New South Wales South Coast. There are projects that could start today, like the Kiama Arts Precinct which is approved and ready to go. The same is true for the Mogo Adventure Trail Hub. We could start working on the Milton Ulladulla bypass and the new the Eurobodalla hospital, complete with inpatient mental health beds and a training facility. Our businesses are innovative and ready to grow, if only they could get a look in from this government that is more interested in flashy announcements than creating jobs for the people of the South Coast.
Ms BELL (Moncrieff) (15:52): It's my privilege to speak on today's matter of extreme public importance focused on the government's economic response to the coronavirus to protect Australian jobs. The coronavirus outbreak impacts personal health and the health systems of countries around the world and it's also having profound economic implications, particularly in my central Gold Coast electorate of Moncrieff. The government's three economic support packages have provided timely assistance to affected workers, businesses and the broader community and has kept Australians in work and businesses in business. The measures have put a floor under the economy and laid the foundation for a strong economic recovery.
As the coronavirus curve is flattened the government is focused on reopening and rebuilding. We need to get businesses back open to enable Australians to go back to work and to ensure consumers and business have the confidence to return to normal activities. Like rest of Australia, the blow to the Gold Coast economy has been devastating as tourism, education, events and hospitality are all key pillars in our city. This is why I have established the City Heart Task Force to engage with key industry sectors to build inner city strategies as we foster the economic road to recovery. It gives me the opportunity to hear updates directly from small business, tourism, hospitality, education and real estate to ensure I can continue the fight for the good people of Moncrieff here in this place.
I would like to commend all those businesses in Moncrieff who have adapted during this tough time to keep their doors open and our people in jobs. It's been such an inspiration to see. I have just a couple of examples for you. Goldsteins Bakery on Chevron Island has moved online, so they have adapted their business right now. Allstar Plastics in Southport have started manufacturing safety screens and aerosol boxes. The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach are using their tech facilities to assist schools and they're using their kitchen to cook meals for those who need a bit of extra support at the moment.
The government has taken decisive action to address the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The Morrison government has provided a historic wage subsidy of $1,500 per fortnight before tax. The $130 billion JobKeeper payment is helping six billion Australians and their employers to keep their staff in jobs and keep their businesses open. I commend the government's JobKeeper program, as do all business groups in my electorate of Moncrieff. There was an audible sigh of relief in the streets when it was announced.
An example of the flow-on effects can be seen at the Southport Yacht Club. I recently caught up with the general manager, Brett James, who said that JobKeeper has enabled him to keep his staff on. The yacht club has a lot of senior members who have needed to isolate for their own safety. The JobKeeper program enabled Brett's team to call and check in on their senior citizen membership. I commend Brett and his team on their touching initiative. Further to this, international superyachts will be able to sail into the Gold Coast seaway, via Southport Yacht Club, permanently in a coup for the Gold Coast boating and tourism industries, as the city starts to look towards the road to recovery, as soon as our borders reopen and the superyacht berth is built.
I am pleased to have worked with Minister Dutton to deliver the permanent border clearing station, which is a vote of confidence for our city during these tough times. A single superyacht is worth thousands of dollars to the Gold Coast economy per day. This is one more step in building the Gold Coast as one of the world's greatest superyacht destinations, boosting our tourism industry and creating local jobs.
Gold Coast theme parks will receive a funding lifeline with the Morrison government unveiling a nationwide $94.6 million support package to help them get through the COVID-19 crisis. This funding will assist exhibiting zoos and aquariums with the fixed operational costs associated with caring for their animals. It will also help to ensure they can remain viable and ready to welcome visitors once restrictions are eased. This is a lifeline for the Gold Coast theme parks, such as Sea World in my electorate, where revenue has dried up as a result of the impacts of COVID.
At the beginning of the crisis I held a meeting with Village Roadshow, Dreamworld and the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Simon Birmingham, to discuss how best to support our tourism icons during this time to ensure they can bounce back once restrictions ease. Our theme parks are a major drawcard for our region and deliver huge positive flow-on effects to our local economy. Families from around Australia love them and we look forward to welcoming them back on the road ahead. They bring thousands of visitors to the Gold Coast who spend millions of dollars visiting other attractions, staying in local hotels and dining in our fantastic local restaurants. It's a big win for our city and the tourism industry on our road to recovery.
There is no doubt today's unemployment figures are devastating, however, they are not unexpected— (Time expired)
Mr ZAPPIA (Makin) (15:57): The latest unemployment figures paint a very grim picture with 600,000 jobs lost last month alone—40,000 in my state of South Australia. There are 700,000 fewer Australians in jobs today than there were a year ago. On the April figures 823,000 Australians are now unemployed, 13.7 per cent are underemployed, which totals over 2½ million people unemployed or underemployed. The Roy Morgan's research people would argue that that figure is understated and that the figure is indeed well over three million. The April figures don't reflect the full extent of the COVID-19 fallout. That will be exposed in the months ahead.
Added to that, I know that as a first step so many workers have been told to take annual leave or long service leave, have had their hours cut or face further cuts in the months ahead if things don't change. As we have heard from others, industry sectors such as tourism, hospitality and the airlines have already been devastated. Tourism alone employs over a million people in this country and for them there will be no snapback. It will be a long road ahead for them to get back on their feet. Many millions of Australians rely on those sectors. We have people right now who are being denied JobKeeper, people like dnata employees, casuals, students, people in the arts sector, people who work for the universities.
This is an unfair decision by the government to cut out people from what was a legitimate program that they should have been entitled to. South Australia is a particularly hard-hit state from all of this. South Australia has the highest unemployment rate in Australia right now—and has had for most of the last 12 months. Youth unemployment in my state is probably sitting at around 15 or 16 per cent right now, and I fear much worse figures in the months ahead as we see the true extent of COVID-19 exposed to us.
There are two areas where this government could have done more and could do more in the future. I'm referring to manufacturing and apprentices, which the minister at the table referred to earlier. We have seen manufacturing in this country fall from around 28 per cent of GDP in the fifties and sixties, and 28 per cent of employment, down to less than six per cent of GDP and around seven per cent of employment today. Again, South Australia has been particularly hard hit, and this government decided it was okay to drive out Holden and so many other manufacturing industries from Australia.
In addition to that, it has cut billions of dollars out of research and development, mainly because of research and development that was attached to the manufacturing sector, and it has cut billions of dollars from training and apprenticeships in this country. Indeed, in the last five years alone there has been about $900 million underspent in that sector alone. Again, we have seen 140,000 fewer apprentices in this country since this government came to office in 2013. Apprenticeships are skills that we need for the future, but they are also jobs. That's 140,000 jobs that we would have had and that would have been used to help with the productivity of our country as we move forward.
The reality is that the government cannot simply hide behind COVID-19 and say, 'Look, this was unforeseen, unexpected, and therefore no-one could have done better than what we have done.' If the government allows the current trend to continue and people face a situation in which they don't have income, the social consequences will cost far more than it would cost the government to do the right thing and provide JobKeeper payments to those people we know have already missed out. It is actually a foolish savings by the government to ignore those people right now—and, quite frankly, it's un-Australian and unfair.
I'll finish with this. The member for Sturt referred to the fact that Australia, by international comparisons, is doing pretty well. We might be—and I accept that we are. But the reality is that for those people who are unemployed, who don't have an income, who can't afford to pay their mortgage, who can't afford to put food on the table for their children, it is no consolation to know that Australia is doing better than other countries, when the government could be there helping them out.
Dr ALLEN (Higgins) (16:02): I rise to refute this matter of public importance that the opposition has put—that we have not put jobs at the centre of our economy. The $130 billion JobKeeper program is unbelievably unprecedented and unique. I can't emphasise enough how their argument is absolutely flawed. For the whole of Australia this has been an unbelievably positive program going forward. That's not to say that there are not aspects of it such that some people may miss out. But we haven't just provided a JobKeeper lifeline; we've also provided a JobSeeker lifeline. So, we are now looking at supporting almost 50 per cent of the adult working population. That is unbelievable, and it is because we have recognised two clear crises.
There are people in this parliament who have thought and argued strongly that we should only be looking at this as a health crisis. It has been very clear that this government has had both aspects of this crisis clearly front and centre from the very start. If you look at the messages that have come through very clearly from the Prime Minister, they have been about a bipartisan approach. Firstly, forming the National Cabinet: I think Australians around the country have been thrilled by the bipartisan support of the federal, state and territory governments working together. Secondly, we've been very clear that the health of all Australians comes first, and we have been very clear about making sure that we have done the most that we can to flatten the curve and prepare our healthcare system. But equally, at the same time and at speed, we have managed to put together an amazing package that is the envy of the world—I'm really sorry, I just have to say that. I've spoken to colleagues around the world. Our package is unique and clever in its construction, and that is because it has put a Liberal philosophy at its very heart. We understand the strong economic approach—that business is at the heart of our economy.
Small businesses, medium-sized businesses and large businesses are the heartbeat of the Australian economy. By providing JobKeeper to businesses to soften the blow and to allow them to support their employees, it has meant that we have provided the dignity of work to Australians. Six million Australians are being supported by JobKeeper—six million people who may otherwise not have had that support have been supported, and 800,000 businesses are now able to continue to provide support and dignity to an amazing number of people in this country. That is not something to be sneezed at.
On top of that, by providing that support to these businesses for their employees, it means that they can therefore be more generous to those who may not meet that JobKeeper criterion, if they do fall through the jobseeker category. So we've got to remember that we have provided this massive amount of support. It is unprecedented in our history, and it is the right solution at the right time. It is a temporary measure to cushion the economy and get us to the other side. It is truly a Liberal philosophy that has taken us to this point. I have to say, the response from the community has been extraordinary.
In the electorate of Higgins, which I am the member for, I've had dozens if not hundreds of emails about JobKeeper and how enthusiastic people are in supporting JobKeeper—I've had retailers, I've had cafes and restaurants, I've had financial services and I've had new businesses that have just started up in the last three or four years who've been faced with closing their doors. I've had letters from people saying that they were expecting to shed 80 per cent of their jobs in the early weeks of February. They were so amazingly relieved that we had offered them this support so that they could keep their businesses going so we can be ready on the other side to get to a new COVID response where Australians can pick up and move forward.
I would like to really congratulate the very proactive response that our government has taken to develop the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission, headed by Mr Neville Power. We are already on the front foot, prepared and ready to go forward as Australians together with businesses, with employers and with employees to get to a COVID-safe world on the other side.
Ms WELLS (Lilley) (16:08): I have never been more proud to be a northsider or to be the person elected to represent northsiders here in the federal parliament. In the words of the great Bruce Springsteen, 'We take care of our own.' I only wish that I had the time in the chamber today to acknowledge and pay tribute to all the acts of kindness that have been bestowed upon others across the northside during the past couple of months. But I am here as the voice of the people of Lilley, and they have sent me here with messages for the parliament. On today's topic, I will talk about the messages of improvement that they want to see in the JobKeeper package.
The Treasurer bestowed upon himself great ministerial power. He gave himself discretion to amend the JobKeeper package where issues with the scheme were exposed. I call upon the Treasurer to demonstrate some humility and now attend to that work with us in the parliament here this week. He needs to do that because there are people falling through the cracks and there are people who are being treated unfairly by this scheme—people like Steve, who lives in McDowall.
Steve has worked for Q Catering for 22 years. For most of that time, Steve has worked for Q Catering under the ultimate employer of Qantas. In 2018, Qantas sold Q Catering to dnata. Steve had no hand in that. Steve played no part in that. This government played a part in that; they signed off on the sale. But now Steve finds himself hung out to dry by that same government because he is not eligible for JobKeeper. He was stood down on 30 March. He was told he'd be stood down for three months, but not to worry because JobKeeper was coming. Last week Steve was told that actually, no, that same government who approved the sale, that same government who had a hand in the change of his employer was now denying him any support. People like Steve deserve an awful lot better than what they're getting from this Treasurer at the moment.
We need to step in and amend JobKeeper for people like Paul and Simone. Paul and Simone opened up a cafe and wellness centre in Brighton in the past 12 months. They poured their heart, their savings and their time into setting up this new business. They employed three local casual workers. As the weeks have gone on, times have got tougher. They've had to sack those three local workers. They are not eligible for JobKeeper because of the criteria. Despite doing absolutely everything that this government seeks of people—small business people having a go—they are now facing the very real prospect of handing the keys back to the bank. What about people like Paul and Simone?
People like Kylie from Sandgate deserve better than what they are receiving from the Treasurer at the moment. Kylie is a relief teacher. She teaches at St Pat's up at Shorncliffe. Kylie was stood down on 27 March and has not received any further bookings as a relief teacher. She's not eligible for JobKeeper; she's a casual worker. At a time when we are talking about the role of teachers and how important their work is in our community, relief teachers like Kylie have been hung out to dry by this government.
Last week, I had a community Zoom with people in the arts industry along with our shadow arts minister, Tony Burke. We've got a thriving hub in Lilley, but we also have 92,000 Queenslanders whose livelihoods depend upon the arts industry. They contribute $111 billion to our economy, and do you know what they got from this government? $27 million. The entire arts industry got $27 million from this government. They've been completely hung out to dry, yet day after day this week we've heard what a great job everybody in the government has been doing and how JobKeeper needs no further amendment. Why are we all here if not to do what the Treasurer gave himself the power to do and amend the package to improve the fairness of the scheme?
Last night I spoke with community organisations on another community Zoom. These are the people who have been keeping our vulnerable alive in the past couple of months. These are the people who are feeding meals to our most vulnerable, meal by meal. They've been keeping people off the streets. They've been giving them showers and then wiping them down themselves. And you know what they had to ask last night? They said: 'Anika, what is happening with JobKeeper? We're reading that there are backbenchers wanting the scheme closed early. We were told this money was granted until September. It's not even enough money to get us to September, and now we're hearing that it might not even last until then.' We should be working together to improve the inherent fairness of the scheme. Why recall parliament and spend all of the taxpayer money needed to do this if you will not listen to the people of our electorates, if you will not hear the unfairness of the scheme, if you will not acknowledge the people who are falling through the cracks and step in and fix it? We have time yet to do it today. The Treasurer should come into the chamber and fix it now.
Mr GOODENOUGH (Moore) (16:13): The coalition government's record on employment is steady. At the start of this year, there were more than 1.4 million more Australians in work than when we came to office in 2013. During that time, wage growth was relatively stable, reflecting a low inflation and low interest rate environment in recent years. The wage price index grew by 2.1 per cent through the year to the March quarter 2020 up from 1.9 per cent from the previous June quarter.
Economic growth and job creation are being facilitated through a range of measures and policies including deregulation, small business tax cuts, free trade agreements, Vocational Education and Training and infrastructure investment. However, since the advent of the coronavirus, things have changed dramatically in the wake of the biggest economic downturn in modern history. More than 600,000 jobs have been lost in a month. The government's $320 billion economic support package, including the $130 billion JobKeeper payment scheme, contains measures to support Australians during the coronavirus outbreak. The government is supporting small business to retain apprentices and trainees with eligible businesses able to apply for a 50 per cent wage subsidy for up to nine months. The government is supporting small and medium-sized business entities and not-for-profit organisations to continue to employ workers, providing payments for a hundred per cent of the tax withheld on employees' salaries and wages. The payments will total a minimum of $20,000 and up to a maximum of $100,000.
The $130 billion JobKeeper payment is the most significant measure to protect jobs in our nation's history. In my home state of Western Australia, sectors of the labour market are still remaining strong, with thousands of mining workers adapting to COVID-safe work practices and keeping the mining industry operating through this economic crisis.
The coalition government has introduced a $7.5 billion employment service, jobactive. Jobactive provides eligible jobseekers with tailored help, from a jobactive organisation, based on their assessed needs. Jobactive providers have a strong understanding of local labour markets. They know where the jobs are, what to do to help jobseekers get ready for work, and how to match jobseekers to employer needs.
The issue of youth unemployment is important for our nation and my electorate of Moore. Last financial year, for the first time in our nation's history, more than 100,000 young Australians got a job. Youth unemployment is falling and is lower than it was under Labor, who left office with almost 55,000 fewer young people in work. The coalition is building on its track record by ensuring more young people get the skills and experience employers need, and is committed to improving skills training, including through the creation of 80,000 new apprenticeships in areas of skill shortages.
The Morrison government is providing additional support to school leavers and job seekers in regional areas by establishing 10 industry training hubs in regional areas with high youth unemployment. The training hubs will provide greater job opportunities for young people and strengthen local economies. This will be supported by 400 vocational education and training scholarships in those regions.
The government is investing $585 million to improve the vocational education and training sector. A strong VET sector equips young people with the skills to move into stable employment. The government has introduced an additional identified skills shortage payment to encourage 80,000 new apprentices to enter occupations facing skill shortages.
The government has commenced pilots of 10 training hubs in regional areas, which are fostering closer links between schools and industry and targeting high regional youth unemployment. Youth Jobs PaTH is a targeted initiative designed to support young people gain the skills and work experience they need to secure employment. PaTH internships help young people under 25 years of age become more competitive in the labour market, giving them the skills that employers want, opportunities for work experience, and the support to move from welfare to work.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Llew O'Brien ): The discussion has concluded.
BILLS
Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Bill 2019
Consideration of Senate Message
Bill returned from the Senate with a requested amendment.
Ordered that the requested amendment be considered immediately.
Senate's requested amendment —
(1) Clause 3, page 4 (lines 1 and 2), omit the definition of fixed wireless broadband service, substitute:
fixed wireless broadband service has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999.
Mr GEE (Calare—Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment and Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education) (16:18): I move:
That the requested amendment be made.
Question agreed to.
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 2019
Consideration of Senate Message
Bill returned from the Senate with amendments.
Ordered that the amendments be considered immediately.
Senate's amendments—
(1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 1), omit "Sections 1 to 4", substitute "Sections 1 to 5".
(2) Page 3 (after line 23), after clause 4, insert:
5 Modelling of Regional Broadband Scheme
Report
(1) The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) must prepare a report in relation to the Regional Broadband Scheme that includes:
(a) the estimates referred to in subsection (3); and
(b) such other matters (if any) as the ACCC considers relevant.
(2) The purpose of the report is to provide updated costings in relation to the amount of the base component specified in paragraph 12(1)(a) of the Regional Broadband Scheme Charge Act, using the same model and methodology that was previously used to determine that amount but taking into account changes to inputs and assumptions that have occurred since that amount was first determined.
(3) The report must include an estimate of each of the following:
(a) the total losses that have been incurred by NBN Co in relation to fixed wireless broadband and satellite broadband matters during the period beginning on 1 July 2009 and ending on 30 June 2020;
(b) the total of the reasonable losses likely to be incurred by NBN Co in relation to fixed wireless broadband and satellite broadband matters during the period beginning on 1 July 2009 and ending on 30 June 2040 (the total expected net losses);
(c) the amount that the base component for a month (within the meaning of the Regional Broadband Scheme Charge Act) would be required to be in order for the Commonwealth to receive a total amount by way of charge imposed by that Act that would offset the total expected net losses, if it were assumed that paragraph 9(1)(b) of that Act had not been enacted;
(d) the total of the reasonable losses likely to be incurred by NBN Co in relation to fixed wireless broadband and satellite broadband matters during the period beginning on 1 July 2020 and ending on 30 June 2040 (the totalexpected net forward facing losses);
(e) the amount that the base component for a month (within the meaning of the Regional Broadband Scheme Charge Act) would be required to be in order for the Commonwealth to receive a total amount by way of charge imposed by that Act that would offset the total expected net forward facing losses, if it were assumed that paragraph 9(1)(b) of that Act had not been enacted;
(f) the total expected number of chargeable premises by reference to which charge is to be calculated under the Regional Broadband Scheme Charge Act during the financial year beginning on 1 July 2025;
(g) such other matters (if any) as the ACCC considers relevant.
Note: For paragraph (f), see section 11 of the Regional Broadband Scheme Charge Act in relation to how numbers of chargeable premises are used in calculating charge under that Act.
(4) The report must specify the aggregated data inputs and the modelling assumptions upon which the estimates referred to in subsection (3) were determined.
(5) In preparing the report, the ACCC:
(a) must use the methodology and model that was used by the Department of Communications and the Arts' Bureau of Communications Research for the report entitled NBN non‑commercial services funding options—Final report March 2016; but
(b) must, in doing so, update the inputs and assumptions of the methodology and model to reflect changes that have occurred since the publication of that report.
(6) Without limiting paragraph (5)(b), the following are changes that must be taken into account in updating the inputs and assumptions:
(a) changes in the inputs for estimating the total number of chargeable premises by reference to which charge is imposed by the Regional Broadband Scheme Charge Act;
(b) changes in the inputs for build costs in relation to fixed wireless broadband and satellite broadband matters;
(c) changes in the inputs for estimating future capital expenditure requirements in relation to fixed wireless broadband and satellite broadband matters.
(7) In preparing the report, the ACCC must assume that Division 6 of Part 3 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 had not been enacted.
Note: That Division deals with charge offset certificates.
(8) Before the end of the 150‑day period beginning when this section commences, the ACCC must:
(a) give the Minister the report; and
(b) make the report available on the ACCC's website.
(9) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 5 sitting days of receiving it.
Use of the word " Regional "
(10) To avoid doubt, the use of the word "Regional"in this section does not limit:
(a) subsection 80(1) of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999; or
(b) subsection 13(3) of the Regional Broadband SchemeCharge Act.
Definitions
(11) In this section:
fixed wireless broadband and satellite broadband matters means the matters referred to in paragraphs 13(3)(a) to (d) of the Regional Broadband Scheme Charge Act.
Minister means the Minister administering the Telecommunications Act 1997.
NBN Co has the same meaning as in the National Broadband Network Companies Act 2011.
Regional Broadband Scheme means the scheme embodied in:
(a) Part 3 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999; and
(b) the Regional Broadband Scheme Charge Act.
Regional Broadband Scheme Charge Act means the Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Act 2020.
(3) Schedule 3, item 1, page 99 (lines 23 and 24), omit "made after the commencement of this section".
(4) Schedule 3, item 2, page 100 (lines 6 and 7), omit "made after the commencement of this section".
(5) Schedule 4, item 13, page 142 (lines 29 and 30), omit the definition of designated start date in section 76, substitute:
designated start date means 1 January 2021.
(6) Schedule 4, item 13, page 143 (after line 2), after the definition of exempt premises in section 76, insert:
financial year has a meaning affected by section 78A.
(7) Schedule 4, item 13, page 147 (after line 27), after section 78, insert:
78A Financial year
For the purposes of this Part (other than section 85), the 6‑month period beginning on the designated start date is taken to be a financial year.
(8) Schedule 4, item 13, page 192 (lines 5 and 6), omit "one month after the end of the applicable reporting period", substitute "60 days after the commencement of this section".
(9) Schedule 4, item 13, page 193 (lines 3 and 4), omit "the second month that began after the commencement of this section", substitute "the month immediately preceding the month in which this section commenced".
(10) Schedule 5, item 1, page 197 (after line 17), after subsection 98B(1), insert:
(1A) NBN Co must:
(a) provide to the Secretary the following mapping data about each national broadband network serving area module:
(i) the boundaries and identification code for the national broadband network serving area module;
(ii) the dominant technology type of connections to the national broadband network within the national broadband network serving area module;
(iii) the date on which the majority of premises within the national broadband network serving area module were declared ready for service by NBN Co; and
(b) do so within 150 days after the Secretary gives a direction to NBN Co under subsection (4).
(11) Schedule 5, item 1, page 197 (after line 29), after subsection 98B(2), insert:
(2A) The Secretary may, by written notice given to NBN Co, direct NBN Co to:
(a) provide to the Secretary the following mapping data about each national broadband network serving area module:
(i) the boundaries and identification code for the national broadband network serving area module;
(ii) the dominant technology type of connections to the national broadband network within the national broadband network serving area module;
(iii) the date on which the majority of premises within the national broadband network serving area module were declared ready for service by NBN Co; and
(b) do so within 90 days after the Secretary gives the direction to NBN Co.
(12) Schedule 5, item 1, page 198 (line 2), omit "subsection (1) or (2)", substitute "subsection (1), (1A), (2) or (2A)".
(13) Schedule 5, item 1, page 198 (line 8), omit "subsection (1)", substitute "subsection (1) or (1A)".
(14) Schedule 5, item 1, page 198 (line 15), omit "subsection (2)", substitute "subsection (2) or (2A)".
(15) Schedule 5, item 1, page 198 (line 22), omit "subsection (2), (4) or (5)", substitute "subsection (2), (2A), (4) or (5)".
(16) Schedule 5, item 1, page 198 (after line 27), after subsection 98B(7), insert:
(7A) Before the end of the 30‑day period beginning on the day on which the Secretary is provided the mapping data under subsection (1A), the Secretary must arrange for the mapping data to be made available on the National Map website (https://nationalmap.gov.au) in colour‑coded format.
(17) Schedule 5, item 1, page 198 (after line 29), insert:
national broadband network serving area module means a geographical region within NBN Co's fixed‑line footprint which includes premises that are:
(a) connected to the national broadband network; and
(b) served by any of the following technology types of connection to the national broadband network:
(i) fibre to the building;
(ii) fibre to the premises;
(iii) fibre to the node;
(iv) fibre to the curb;
(v) HFC.
Mr GEE (Calare—Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment and Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education) (16:20): I move:
That the amendments be agreed to.
Question agreed to.
Defence Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2020
Student Identifiers Amendment (Enhanced Student Permissions) Bill 2019
Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
Returned from Senate
Message received from the Senate returning the bills without amendment.
Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
Second Reading
Consideration resumed of the motion:
That this bill be now read a second time.
Ms McBRIDE (Dobell) (16:21): I move:
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House:
(1) notes Australia's substantial reliance on global supply chains for medicines and medical devices;
(2) further notes the supply issues that Australians have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for common medicines; and
(3) calls on the Government to consider stronger domestic supply capabilities as part of Australia's post-COVID-19 response".
In the first two weeks of March, as we faced COVID-19, demand for medicines rose sharply, resulting in pharmacies and wholesalers reporting that numerous common medicines were out of stock. This led to an intervention by the TGA requiring pharmacists to limit dispensing of certain prescription medicines to one month's supply at the prescribed dose and to limit sales of certain over-the-counter medicines to a maximum purchase of one unit. Additionally, pharmacies were also required to place children's paracetamol liquid formulation behind the counter to assist in allocating those products equitably.
One of my constituents, Caleb, lives with asthma. After a check-up with his GP in March, he couldn't fill scripts for either Seretide, his preventer, or Ventolin. Although he was eventually able to fill his Seretide prescription, he was left with a short supply of Ventolin for several days, putting him at some risk. Checking the TGA website, which listed no shortage of Ventolin, was also of little comfort to Rhonda of Kangy Angy when she couldn't fill her prescription. This ultimately led to her calling the New South Wales Department of Health, the Medicines Line and, finally, the New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission. There was a distressing and possibly risky delay due to the widespread lack of Ventolin, which was out of stock locally. Priceline pharmacy at Woy Woy sought guidance on the compounding of liquid ibuprofen because children's Nurofen was out of stock. The advice they received from the professional body was that it could be compounded for an individual patient when the TGA registered product wasn't available.
It hasn't just been common medicines that have been out of stock but vaccines too. When parliament last sat, I asked the health minister in question time if he was confident that there would be sufficient flu vaccine available so everyone aged over six months could be vaccinated. While he was confident this was the case, there are still people contacting my office and electorate offices around Australia because they can't get a flu shot. I'm told the vaccine is not available due to being out of stock locally. This is causing delays, leaving people at risk and, in some situations, sadly, preventing them from visiting their elderly relatives and parents. I spoke to Ruth yesterday, who can't get a flu shot and is concerned about visiting her mum, who is almost 100 and lives in a retirement villa.
While there has been a lot of media focus, as there should be, on supplies of ventilators and PPE, the availability of key medicines is essential. There are concerns Australian hospitals will face shortages of crucial medicines in the event of a surge of COVID-19 cases. Surveys conducted by the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia show hospital pharmacists continue to be concerned at the lack of supply of key medicines needed to care for patients with acute COVID-19 symptoms and ventilators in case of sudden high demand. For example, almost one in five hospitals—18 per cent—who responded have insufficient propofol to manage their full required ventilator bed capacity for even a single day. The SHPA states:
The critical need to safeguard medicines supply … is appropriately reflected in its listing as one of 15 key triggers for the progressive shift toward a 'COVID-safe economy' …
The SHPA wants to see a national plan for managing the demand for medicines based on the most up-to-date COVID-19 modelling on patient numbers.
As part of Australia's COVID-19 response, hospitals are still on stand-by for a patient surge, and remain concerned at the number of part orders and backorders delayed or not supplied. Not receiving orders can trigger new orders, which feeds into misconceptions around stockpiling. If Australia does have sufficient supply, hospitals have no visibility of this, driving concerns we would not be ready for a caseload surge. Transparency is key to a responsive system in a pandemic. Hospitals need greater surety that medicines will be available in a timely manner when they're needed. The current manufacturer led system does not provide this, and pharmacists and doctors are left without the critical information they need to do their jobs. They can't plan treatments, set up new ICUs or supply satellite healthcare sites if they don't know what is and what will be available.
I'd like to turn now to Australian manufacturing. Medical supply shortages may occur more frequently in a global economy, with consolidation of manufacturing and less products made here in Australia. If more production occurs at fewer sites, especially overseas, there may be less redundancy or spare capacity and more risk of disruption. A single manufacturing plant may produce multiple brands of a particular medicine. If a disruption occurs, the original brand and all the generics may be affected at the same time. The use of a just-in-time approach to inventories can exacerbate these problems. While the issue of shortages of medicines and medical supplies is not new, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought this into sharp relief. When there is a sudden spike in global demand for a particular medical supply, combined with a disruption to normal supply chains, Australia is suddenly even more exposed to shortages—shortages which can cost lives.
That is why Labor believes that, as part of the post-COVID-19 response, Australia should adopt policies to promote stronger domestic capabilities for the manufacturing and delivery of critical medical supplies. As the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, said this week:
This pandemic reminds us that national resilience also requires Australian capability to secure critical supply chains in the face of global shocks.
We must revitalise high-value Australian manufacturing. The government's lack of support for manufacturing industries has seen the withdrawal of private capital from research and development and the depletion of critical skills. To once again become a country that produces high-tech manufacturing, we need to embrace science. Instead, the government has slashed funding to the CSIRO, the very organisation now testing vaccines for the coronavirus.
In closing, I would like to recognise the many frontline health workers facing COVID-19—those treating patients, those now self-isolating after being exposed and those living away from family so they're not at risk. While there are many, in the context of this bill, I would like to acknowledge my fellow pharmacists. Pharmacists have made a considerable contribution on the frontlines—staying open and offering critical services when many other primary care providers were closed. Sadly, they've also borne the brunt of stressed and frightened people, and that has led to stories of violence against pharmacists and pharmacy staff. Pharmacists have worked together with the TGA to implement supply restrictions on medicines. Hospital pharmacists are managing supplies so that patients in ICU have access to the essential medicines needed—medicines critical for induction on ventilators and preserving life. Aged-care pharmacists provide telehealth consultations to deliver much-needed residential medication management. Consultant pharmacists provide home medication reviews via telehealth, to support the safe use of medication in the home.
For many of our most vulnerable Australians who have been forced into isolation, pharmacists are often the only health-professional contact that those patients have had—be that through the delivery of medication to the home, via telehealth consultations or over the counter in a pharmacy. It has been the pharmacist not only providing these services during COVID-19 but encouraging the most vulnerable in the community to reconnect with their local GP or allied health provider when, at times, their own health can take a back seat.
I would like to finish by thanking all of the health workers and all of the frontline workers who have gone to work so that we can be safely at home.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Llew O'Brien ): Is the amendment seconded?
Mr Brian Mitchell: I second the amendment.
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Llew O'Brien ) (16:30): It being 4.30 pm, I propose the question:
That the House do now adjourn.
Dobell Electorate: COVID-19
Ms McBRIDE (Dobell) (16:30): Today I want to talk about the social and economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic—a pandemic that the United Nations refers to as one that is attacking societies at their core—and its impact on everyday Australians. In just a few days in March, the closure of non-essential services led to hundreds of thousands of Australians losing their jobs. According to ABS reports, 800,000 people, or six per cent of the workforce, lost their jobs in the first three weeks of restrictions. Heartbreaking images of men and women waiting in never-ending Centrelink queues, alongside shuttered shops and empty business districts, are now so frequent that they've become our new normal. They're on TV every night, a standard part of the evening news bulletin. This new reality we live in would almost feel unreal if not for the pain that we feel, a pain that is magnified in communities and people who were already vulnerable—those in insecure or casual work, older Australians, the sick, and those living with mental ill health. So much more than a health crisis, this pandemic is a far-reaching social and economic crisis, a crisis that is drawing our attention to an uncomfortable truth that not everyone quarantines equally; that the social and economic fallout of the pandemic is not shared equally.
The local economy on the Central Coast is built on the shoulders of industries typical of our coastal region, like tourism, hospitality, retail, food manufacturing and construction. When non-essential services were shut down, the coast felt it. As a proud, hardworking community, when people are doing it tough we pull together. But, unlike in some other regions, this pandemic isn't a pause for us, a brief stop or a reset; it's a crisis, with a long and bumpy road to recovery. Many people in my community will struggle to get back on their feet by the last week of September, when JobKeeper ends and jobseeker payments drop back to just $40 a day. The COVID-19 health crisis has exposed economic fault lines in our society. Socially, the impact of insecure work and unemployment is already showing its effects, with mental ill health rising.
Our life circumstances have a profound and enduring impact on our mental health and wellbeing. In my former role as a specialist mental health pharmacist, I saw otherwise healthy individuals deteriorate rapidly as a result of unemployment, housing stress and debt. That is why I believe that with different policy settings it is possible that we can go a long way towards reducing or minimising the social and economic fallout of this pandemic.
Emma Mulder's father, Graham, is only 63, too young to be in aged care, but treatment for his brain tumour led to a stroke. That left his family little choice but for him to enter residential care. Last month, the family were allowed visits by appointment, with strict supervision and hygiene protocols, like other families—that was, until Emma requested a temporary fee reduction; then the visits stopped. Emma's mum has dyslexia and, having had no explanation of the costs, was confused and distressed when $4,000 was taken from Graham's bank account and a 20-page contract arrived in the mail. It was an enormous relief when the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission intervened. Emma can visit her dad again. The most distressing part of this was that Graham thought his family didn't want to see him. It shouldn't be like this!
Carers often feel invisible and forgotten. Kylie Croker is the carer for her daughter Ella, who lives with congenital heart disease and autism. Kylie home schools Ella while her husband waits for yet another back surgery after an injury. Kylie can't understand why the government isn't listening to her or other parents of children with disabilities, when service providers' fees have gone up and her family is finding it even harder to get by on just under $400 a week.
During the first few weeks of the restrictions, my office received separate calls from two mums, both of whom had young sons who were casual workers in hospitality and had lost their jobs. They were worried about their sons' mental health and feared for their lives. Byron is now okay. He's been working for over 12 months and qualified for JobKeeper. But many other casuals won't.
As I said, I come from a proud and hardworking community: when people are doing it tough, we pull together. I'd like to thank the frontline workers who've gone to work to keep us safe at home. To the nurses, supermarket workers, truck drivers and cleaners, I am proud of the way we've worked together, but there comes a time when proud people need help. My condolences to the families of the 98 Australians who have lost their lives to COVID-19 and to the families who couldn't say their goodbyes; to the patients in ICU, in quarantine and self-isolating while anxiously waiting for test results. Finally, to Kath and Kenny Watson from Toukley: I'm looking forward to you arriving safely home on the coast tomorrow. Travel safe.
COVID-19: Forde Electorate
Mr VAN MANEN (Forde—Chief Government Whip) (16:35): The community of Forde has done a terrific job over the past couple of months, coming together and supporting each other during times of adversity as they have done many times in the past. Many families are doing it incredibly tough, with some having to seek government assistance for the first time in their lives. Businesses have had to close or reduce hours due to social-distancing restrictions, but these are critical to slowing down the spread of COVID-19. Despite this, they have stepped up, risen to the challenge to adapt and innovate their business and also support their local communities.
Toni Wilson from Wil Soon Espresso, a mobile coffee van, was offering free coffees to families who are struggling and she also offered free coffees to those waiting in the queues at Centrelink. Scott from Coffee Reserve in Upper Coomera started a pay it forward initiative for his customers. Scott says he likens himself to the modern barman, offering two Cs: caffeine and conversation, which, sadly, is in short supply at the moment for obvious reasons—I mean the conversation, not the caffeine. Small businesses like Scott's and Toni's are the engine room of the Australian economy, which is why it is critical that we all support them on our road to recovery by choosing to buy local and buy small.
Locally, the Morrison government is supporting a number of small businesses in the electorate of Forde with critical investments in the face of the coronavirus pandemic through our Manufacturing Modernisation Fund, which will support 200 projects across Australia worth more than $215 million. Businesses like Merino Country in Shailer Park, a local manufacturer of merino wool products, is set to receive over $400,000 in funding to modernise and boost their capability. This will allow them to bring wool processing back to Australia and signals a manufacturing renaissance for much of the Australian wool and garment industry.
We are also supporting ATP Science in Loganholme with a million dollar investment in an innovative high-tech protein bar line which will allow them to expand their production capacity from 5,000 bars a day to more than 27,000. This investment will boost Australia's export capability in the growing health foods and sports nutrition markets.
The Morrison government is also supporting the high-tech health sector with a critical $100,000 investment in Tanah Merah based business Mansalem. Dr Dares Salaam has completed a masters in maxillofacial prosthetics—artificial eyes, ears and noses—through Kings College London. Our investment will help her expand the business into the cutting-edge field of maxillofacial prosthetics, a specialised field which is currently limited to the public health sector in Australia.
This is a clear sign for all health industry leaders that Australia is open for business. We are open for investment and we are an investment destination for these global and local businesses that want to expand and grow their manufacturing capabilities. These investments are so important now, more so than ever, as we have experienced in recent times how vulnerable our supply chains are to global events which impact greatly on our local manufacturers and businesses. This is why this fund was spearheaded in the first place. But, importantly, it shows the forward-looking nature of this government because this fund and this program was put in place well in advance of the arrival of coronavirus. It just shows that our forward-looking nature has led to solutions at a time when the nation really needs it. In addition to that, locally, the Morrison government is investing, and continues to invest, in infrastructure upgrades across the electorate, generating jobs, generating business activity and creating the opportunity for families to get home safer and sooner, such as a $195 million M1-M3 gateway merge upgrade, which was delivered ahead of schedule. I know my colleague sitting next to me, the member for Bonner, is equally pleased about that outcome. There's the $4.5 million Jellicoe Street and Station Road intersection upgrade at Loganlea in conjunction with the Logan City Council. I know that there is now detailed design work on the $2 million upgrade to the Williamson Road and Days Road intersection upgrade in Upper Coomera. This is just a small example of the projects that the Morrison government is continuing to rollout to benefit the Australian economy.
COVID-19: Manufacturing
Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR (Gorton) (16:40): There is no doubt COVID-19 has been challenging on many levels, including Australians' health, the economy and the community. However, Australians are a resilient bunch, and we know that often in a crisis there is a chance to cultivate opportunities. COVID-19 has shone a light on the manufacturing sector, in particular, which highlights our reliance on a strong manufacturing sector, along with future prospects. Therefore, it's a time to reflect on the state of Australian manufacturing and a reset. In a matter of weeks, Australians faced a sudden restriction of overseas supply chains, combined with soaring global demand for medical supplies and personal protective equipment. At pace, a number of Australian manufacturers adapted their production lines to produce essential items and medical equipment in the battle against the virus, whether it be masks, hand sanitiser, ethanol, surgical gowns or ventilators. The skill, quality and efficiency of our manufacturers is something our nation can be proud of.
I'm sure we've all experienced the same sense of pride and assurance in the realisation that, during a health crisis, there is no other place you'd rather be. A strong manufacturing capability is critical to Australia's self-reliance. If there's anything COVID-19 has taught us, it's that we need a country that is self-sufficient, particularly in times of crisis. But the health pandemic very quickly laid bare Australia's weakened manufacturing capability and unpreparedness for this crisis or any future health crisis that comes our way. The Australian manufacturing sector, as we know, has been contracting not growing. Some of Australia's crucial manufacturing capacity has been displaced completely and thousands of manufacturing jobs were lost over many years. This decline in output and employment is not typical of other industrial countries, but we would argue it is in part a result of the current government. Indeed, the day the former Treasurer dared Holden to leave Australia in December 2013 is etched in my mind—a foolish, arrogant but deliberate move that played a significant role, I would argue, in the departure of local Holden car manufacturing. On the following day, I recall, as the then shadow employment minister, moving a censure motion against the government, condemning their treatment of Australian manufacturers. Since then, it seems as though the government has determined that the more they ignore the issue of what is increasingly a struggling manufacturing industry, all the while taking up the future of the industry, the problem might just go away, but that strategy has now come undone. COVID-19 is a blinding reminder of the errors that goaded car manufacturers to leave our shores: a failed energy policy increasing the costs of manufacturing, the withdrawal of private capital from research and development, the depletion of critical skills and the destruction of the viability of smaller manufacturers further down the supply chain.
COVID-19 firmly highlights the need for a strong manufacturing capability within our country. It offers a once-in-a-generation chance to revitalise an Australian-made market with quality goods, solutions and secure, high-paid jobs as we as a nation recover. Many have described fighting this virus as a war effort. Not only do we need to support our frontline workers but we need to plan for when the virus is beaten too. When Curtin established the Department of Post War Reconstruction it was almost Christmas in 1942, little over halfway through World War II. We need to once again become a country that produces high-tech manufacturing, revitalising Australian manufacturing using our clean energy resources. Indeed, we have many natural advantages, both traditional sources of energy and renewable energy, which should be able to provide great opportunities for our manufacturing sector. With our abundant mineral resources, mining industry and industrial capability, we should be at the forefront of the global competition for jobs and industry.
Lower energy costs will deliver investment in energy-intensive manufacturing, like steel and aluminium, and boost regional jobs and economic activity. More collaboration between universities, TAFE and industry is needed. It is government's role to support these collaborations if we want to see a new era of manufacturing. Manufacturing is the second-highest spender on R&D; however, the current government has an R&D bill in the parliament taking $2 billion from innovative manufacturers and firms—reducing research and development at a time when we need to be enhancing the manufacturing sector.
We do have these challenges. We implore the government to consider what it needs to do to strengthen and enhance the manufacturing sector. We need to turn this terrible situation into an opportunity for Australian manufacturing and the businesses and workers within it.
COVID-19
Mr WALLACE (Fisher) (16:45): Our lives are defined not by the challenges that come our way but by how we deal with them. Certainly on the Sunshine Coast these have been dark times for many. Ninety-four individuals have contracted COVID-19 and one person has tragically lost their life. The Sunshine Coast Chamber Alliance tells us that 120 local businesses have closed their doors permanently. Hundreds more are temporarily shut. Thousands of people have lost their jobs. I've received more than 2,500 coronavirus inquiries from proud Sunshine Coast residents needing help, often for the first time, in the face of this devastating crisis. It has been a privilege to step in and help so many people find the support that they need—people like Craig, who was trapped in the Philippines and suffering complex and deteriorating health. He's now safely home with his family. Young Ebony from Buddina needed support to return to her loved ones. She was in South America.
Amid these dark times we've seen amazing resilience and adaptability. The Sunshine Coast has not given up. Heidi and Pavo Walker from Walker Seafoods generated more than three-quarters of their income from exports prior to the pandemic. With overseas markets drying up, Walker Seafoods has started selling their high-quality seafood direct from the car park to local residents. I'm told that they sell out regularly. I've also been assisting Walker Seafoods to get their fresh tuna to the US by using the International Freight Assistance Mechanism that was announced by the tourism minister just 16 days ago.
Last week I met Jono, who owns newsagencies in Kawana and Birtinya. Though sales have plummeted, he has used our JobKeeper payment to stay open, keep employing his staff and keep supplying the news to local people when they need it the most. Jono tells me that business is starting to pick up and he hopes to be fully back on track in June. I'm hearing the same story from others, like Ken Jeffreys, who owns Caloundra Jet Ski. Ken proactively used his time and the government's investment incentives to build a new trailer while the company couldn't operate. Now his terrific business is seeing bookings grow so fast that, to maintain the required social distancing, he has had to turn people away.
Our Sunshine Coast community should be very proud of how we have responded to the hardships of COVID-19. Now we can begin to look forward, resolute and optimistic of what the future holds for our region. I know that some in my community want to know what their federal member intends to do to help. First, I will redouble my efforts to get shovels in the ground on the billions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects in my community which have already been funded by the federal government—stage 1 of the north coast rail duplication, the next phase of Bruce Highway upgrades between Caboolture and the Steve Irwin Way turn-off, and further upgrades between Steve Irwin Way and Caloundra Road. Most of these projects are funded and ready to go. These would deliver hundreds of jobs and help create economic growth through better connectivity for the region and an improved experience for tourists for many years to come.
Second, I'll be working with local chambers of commerce and business groups to remind us all that now is the time to shop local, stay local and play local. We have some of the finest cafes, restaurants, boutique shops, luxury accommodation and unique leisure experiences in the country, and now is the perfect time for Sunshine Coast locals to enjoy them and to support our regions' businesses.
Third, I will build on my efforts to help diversify the Sunshine Coast economy by attracting new industries like defence, professional services and high-tech manufacturing to our region. As businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide rethink and rebuild after COVID-19, we have a perfect opportunity to show them just what the Sunshine Coast has to offer.
The Morrison government should be congratulated for their world-leading efforts in managing the health and economic impacts of COVID-19, but this challenge is far from over. Now it is up to all of us to build the Australia we want to see in the months and years ahead. I know that my region and the fantastic people who live there will step up and, together, we will create a stronger Sunshine Coast.
Sheean, Mr Edward (Teddy)
COVID-19
Mr BRIAN MITCHELL (Lyons) (16:50): Tasmanians learned yesterday with great shock that the government had decided not to posthumously award Teddy Sheean a Victoria Cross. It is no great surprise after the years, but what made yesterday's announcement grievous for Tasmanians was that a tribunal had recommended to the government that the posthumous award be awarded. The government has, for its own reasons, decided not to grant this award.
Tasmanians are united on this. This cuts across all political divides—Labor, Liberal and Independent, Tasmanians are united: Teddy Sheean deserves this award. His story is well known. I am sure most here will be familiar with it—18 years old, lying down on the deck of the HMAS Armidale, shooting at Japanese planes whilst they're strafing his colleagues in the water. He is credited with saving 49 lives and he got a mention in dispatches. There has been a 30-year campaign for him to get a VC. It has gone through a number of different processes. It has failed at every turn. Hearings were held in Hobart and, in July last year, the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal recommended to the government that the posthumous Victoria Cross be awarded.
So it is with great disappointment, anger and outrage that we learn that the government has decided not to award it. All I can say is: please reconsider. This award is well deserved by any contemporary standards or standards of the day. I can't imagine why at the time it was decided that he was not deserving of this award, but Teddy Sheean is deserving of this award. I really do hope that the government reconsiders its decision and awards it.
As we've heard many times over this week, Australians have, by staying further apart, come closer together in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. We have checked in on neighbours and friends, we have picked up the phone and we've cooked and delivered meals for those doing it tough. Home baking has become a cottage industry. We have found new ways to work within our homes. 'Zooming' has become part of the language. All this change has taken just weeks.
In this place, the opposition have worked constructively with the government on key issues and sought not to impede measures. We have not agreed with all the government has done and is doing and we have made our views clear, but we have not allowed a pursuit of the perfect to be an enemy of the good. As a result of this coming together by staying apart, we seem to have avoided the worst of the health predictions, a scenario that is very different to nations that did not act quickly or decisively enough.
We owe our deepest thanks to workers who have come to be known as 'essential workers'. They weren't known as essential workers before the pandemic. These essential workers are health professionals, aged-care workers, disability workers, cleaners, teachers, shop assistants, truck drivers, public transport workers, police and emergency service workers. It is also important to note the essential contributions of the armies of volunteers at neighbourhood houses and charities who have put together, with appropriate social distancing, relief packages of food and clothing. Many of those accessing this relief would never have dreamed just a few short weeks ago that they would ever need it.
The change in circumstance for so many Australians has been as swift as it has been brutal. Indeed, the economic impacts of this pandemic will be with us for years to come. I do echo the sentiments of the Labor leader, who said earlier this week we must act now to ensure we come out of this crisis better than we went into it.
The Prime Minister wants us to snap back to the way things were before COVID-19, but, for too many, that means a return to insecure work and low wages. If we want to build a bridge to better times, let's build it not on the sand and the mud of insecure work, low wages and casualisation but on the strong foundations of secure work, fair wages and conditions, top quality education and skills training, and a first-class public health system that doesn't need to scrounge and beg for essential supplies. Let's not snap back to an economy that was slowing down, to record household debt and to two million Australians looking for work or more work. Let's not snap back to a damaged environment and a public discourse that derides scientific expertise. Our challenge must be to recover from this pandemic stronger and better than we were before—not to snap back to what we were before but to build a stronger and better economy and society.
Bonner Electorate: JobKeeper Payment
Mr VASTA (Bonner) (16:55): I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the Morrison government's historic $130 billion JobKeeper payment scheme and the impact that it's having on businesses in my electorate of Bonner. I'm very pleased to share with the House that the JobKeeper payments are working. The payments are supporting hundreds of jobs and businesses in Bonner and helping to cushion the blow from the severe economic impact of the coronavirus. As of last week, more than 725,000 businesses employing more than 4.7 million Australians had registered for JobKeeper—a fantastic take-up. However, in my electorate of Bonner, I have a couple of specific examples I have received and would like to share.
The first is from Anthony from MIG Training in Upper Mount Gravatt. Anthony writes: 'Hi, Ross. I just wanted to provide a message of support for the federal government's suite of measures in support of small business during the COVID-19 crisis. The small business stimulus and JobKeeper program will provide a lifeline to our business that will contribute greatly to our chances of survival and recovery on the other side of the pandemic. We are a second-generation, family owned registered training organisation based in the electorate for the past 40 years. We currently employ 20 people and provide apprenticeship training services across Queensland. At the end of March, we were forced to stand down all but a skeleton staff to ensure our survival. Along with the support of our landlord, the substance of the support package and the speed of implementation will give us every chance to navigate what is ahead. In the coming weeks, we will have the capacity to re-engage with our staff and clients in a time frame that would not be possible otherwise. Despite the inevitable flak the government will cop in the coming months when a small minority attempt to take advantage of the program, know that this is an excellent public policy. I would be grateful if you could pass this message onto the team of policymakers. This support will make a substantial difference to the lives of all those who are connected to our business.' Thank you, Anthony, for your feedback. As per your request, I have let the policymakers and Australians know just how much JobKeeper means to you and your second-generation, family owned business.
Another example I would like to share with the House is from Mark Beitz of Bartons car dealership in my electorate of Bonner. Before JobKeeper was announced, Mark's dealerships were staring down the path of closing and standing down their team. I am now very pleased to share that Mark did not close the dealerships and has since informed me that not only is Bartons open for business but they stood down very few staff and are already reviewing how to bring them back under the JobKeeper program. He shared this with me: 'Our staff have been amazing and are all pulling together to do what it takes. We have a 24-hour-a-day hotline we have just launched. This is staffed by Bartons staff, and we are the only one in Australia doing this. You can book services online with staff via email, web chat, SMS and Messenger, and you can buy cars online, with virtual test drives and more.' Mark had also purchased 3,000 face masks and distributed them to some staff for them to take home to their families, with the remaining stock available for older people in the community, free of charge.
Bartons has further adapted to the coronavirus by offering free sanitisation treatments in every car during servicing, pick-up and drop-off for those who need to isolate at home, as well as mobile services. This is another fantastic example of JobKeeper payments allowing businesses to continue operating and keep staff on and helping them to adapt during these difficult times.
With businesses across a range of industries suffering from this global pandemic, JobKeeper payments have had a significant impact on protecting jobs and our economy. The payment is giving working Australians their best chance of keeping their jobs and keeping them connected to their employers so business can bounce back as we ease restrictions and recover from COVID-19.
House adjourned at 17 : 00
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Zimmerman) took the chair at 10:00.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Zimmerman) took the chair at 10:00.
CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Burt Electorate: COVID-19
Mr KEOGH (Burt) (10:00): The economic effects of COVID-19 have hit hard in the Perth's south-eastern suburbs, which make up the electorate of Burt that I represent. Whilst the good work of the McGowan government has seen less than 40 coronavirus cases across my community, I will never forget seeing the queues from the Armadale Centrelink, that first Monday after everything shut down, extending all the way down the hill to the train station. I visited the Centrelinks in Gosnells and Armadale the next morning. Both still had queues of frustrated and anxious newly-unemployed. Across our community, around 4,000 people will lose work by the end of June and not receive JobKeeper, including nearly 2,000 across the retail, hospitality and education sectors.
But today I also want to say thank you to the people of Burt. Never has it been more important for a community to pull together while staying apart. Thank you for your patience, your kindness and your resilience. Thank you to those who have gone out of your way to look after someone in need in our community. To the staff at Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital, one of WA's main COVID testing clinics, I say thank you. To the staff at the Centrelinks in Armadale, Cannington and Gosnells, who worked through the nights, weekends and public holidays to get people's payments through faster, thank you. To our local councils, who are providing local community support and economic stimulus plans whilst trying to keep as many of their own staff on board as possible when they can't get access to JobKeeper, thank you. To the volunteers who have spent countless hours on the phone to people who are isolated, just making sure they're doing okay, thank you. To the charities that have been making sure that everyone has food to eat, clothes to wear and a roof over their head, thank you. To our RSLs, who weren't able to hold Anzac Day ceremonies as they usually would, thank you for the dignity you still inspired on the day as we stood alone together on our driveways, and for the support you always give our veterans. To the grocery workers who have been working hard around the clock, stacking shelves, controlling crowds and selling essentials, thank you. To the teachers and childcare workers who, day after day, put yourselves out to look after and teach the children of frontline and other essential workers, potentially risking your own wellbeing, thank you. To our women's refuges, who have seen a significant rise in calls for help, and the aged care and disability workers confronting much harder conditions, thank you. To our local Examiner newspaper, which has focused on the best of what this crisis has brought out in our community, not the worst, thank you. To the Burt community cabinet—three levels of government as well as business, of different politics but working for what is best for our community—thank you.
There's a long road ahead for the community of Burt and our nation. I think we're all acutely aware of that. But together we have proven we can get through this.
Bass Electorate: COVID-19
Mrs ARCHER (Bass) (10:03): In a quiet suburb of Launceston sits Australia's oldest working textile mill. Established in 1874, Waverley Woollen Mills to this day still produces the highest quality wool products, that are guaranteed to last, beautifully created and ethically produced. Today, the suburb of Waverley is home to some 1,500 residents but has just one local shop.
The needs of some in the community were highlighted when the coronavirus pandemic first hit the state in late March. For some in this community—and, indeed, across Northern Tasmania—the shortages of basic food items such as bread and rice were a very real reality. In difficult times, though, there are always some rays of sunshine to be found, such as caring community members like Danielle Watkins. With a few spare veggies in her garden and some spare pantry items, Danielle put together a few shelves outside her front fence, creating what has become the Waverley Community Co-op. What started as a way of helping her neighbours has filled a much-needed gap for community members seeking essentials. The mantra of the co-op is: 'Take what you need, share what you can.' And it has become quite popular in an area where access to the supermarket under coronavirus restrictions has been difficult, especially for those without a vehicle, making it quite difficult for families with young children to get everyone on a bus to make a trip to buy essentials. The local store provides a great service, but it doesn't provide fresh food options, and nor should it be expected to. There's increasingly a gap between what the community needs and deserves and what it has. The community co-op is wonderful and has the opportunity to grow. But, to do so, it will need to operate out of a full bricks-and-mortar building, with essential infrastructure in place. And, even in a suburb of 1,500 people, such a building does not currently exist.
Additionally, there is a need for community infrastructure for the area: Facilities where, in our post- COVID environment, children can play, families can congregate for barbecues and be outside together, and teenagers have access to amenities in their own neighbourhood. Governments play an essential role in assisting communities like Waverley, and I believe it will take a coordinated effort between all three levels of government—local, state and federal. I met with the City of Launceston back in February to advocate for the needs of this community and to discuss next steps. After I became aware of the co-op and the need for a space to keep the service going and to meet the needs of the community, I also wrote to the council to raise that issue and see what can be done. I'll be working with the council over the coming months to progress these infrastructure needs, and will also be talking to my state and federal colleagues to discuss the possibilities that can be explored to enhance this community.
Waverley is a wonderfully warm, vibrant and connected community, full of great young people, hardworking families and retirees who have lived in this neighbourhood for decades. There's no reason why they can't enjoy the same benefits as those in other suburbs around them, and I'll continue to advocate for this to happen.
Whitlam Electorate: COVID-19
Mr STEPHEN JONES (Whitlam) (10:06): Various forecasts are estimating that unemployment is set to exceed 10 per cent of the workforce by June this year, and even the Reserve Bank of Australia estimates that it will remain persistently high over the next few years. For the communities that I represent, this means somewhere in the order of 12½ thousand people potentially losing their jobs. We welcome the fact that the government has picked up Labor's suggestion of a wage subsidy program, although we note that it is set to conclude by September-October this year. Economic recovery is likely to be slow, and it won't happen automatically. We need assistance from the Commonwealth government, and the Commonwealth working hand-in-hand with the state governments, local governments and local businesses, to get the economy and employment moving again. I have asked local governments and development authorities in my region to bring forward proposals which will assist in this task. Normally, when we do this, the big projects—projects that we have been talking about in our region for some time—are proposed.
A division having been called in the House of Representatives—
Sitting suspended from 10 : 07 to 10 : 16
Mr STEPHEN JONES: As I was saying, when we normally go to bodies and ask for ideas for stimulus programs, the big projects come forward. I encourage them to still think about the big projects, such as the Maldon-Dombarton rail link, the Picton Road and off ramps on the highway—these are all important projects—but I'd also like them to think of things that aren't as lumpy and that are going to be able to be brought forward quickly to give that employment stimulus where it's needed.
I'd like to propose two areas that warrant attention. The first is social housing. Even before the crisis, we had an issue with homelessness and we had an issue with affordable housing. Let's use this as an opportunity to inject investment into social housing opportunities, creating stimulus to the building and construction sector, but also providing a roof over the heads for people in need.
The second area that I'd like to propose is a widespread pest eradication project. In the Illawarra, particularly along the escarpment, for decades we have had a big problem with feral deer encroaching on urban areas, creating traffic hazards and creating problems with the rolling stock on the trains. Let's not let a crisis go to waste. I'd like to see some proposals come forward that enable us to upscale our pest eradication program and focus on something which has been a big problem throughout the national park throughout the Illawarra and Southern Highlands for decades. I'd encourage our local state authorities to work on a program that we could propose to the federal government. I'll be very happy to advocate for it in this place. Let's ensure that we can do something about a longstanding problem during this crisis.
COVID-19: Tourism
Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (10:18): I rise to speak about the plight of tourism operators, tourism workers and the entire Whitsundays. We came to the rescue somewhat for some of the businesses there with a JobKeeper program for some of the workers as well. Yesterday it was announced, and today we are putting into the parliament, the fee relief for reef tourism operators. Their reef tax, the Great Barrier Reef marine park environmental management charge, is being waived right up until February. That will mean money back in the pockets of tourism operators. I note the Whitsunday Charter Boat Industry Association has written to myself, the Minister for the Environment, the Deputy Prime Minister and others to personally offer their sincere and heartfelt thanks for the support that the government has shown to the industry in what will be long remembered as one of its darkest times.
Indeed, it is a dark time in the Whitsundays tourism industry. The numbers that I have received from Tourism Whitsundays of their collated industry impacts due to the pandemic crisis are just terrible to read. The amount of businesses directly impacted by the events, unsurprisingly, is 100 per cent—all of them. The number of businesses that have suspended operations is 85. This is the kicker: 2,760 jobs were lost in the very small community of the Whitsundays. The number of room nights cancelled is almost 30,000. The tour and activities cancelled is almost 24,000. It's a total estimated value of almost $130 million ripped out of a very, very small economy where tourism accounts for one in three jobs and 40 per cent of the $6.3 billion of the income that goes into the Great Barrier Reef industry. It is very, very, very alarming.
Things need to happen now. I believe there needs to be increased assistance for the tourism sector, particularly in infrastructure. There needs to be an ongoing range of support in JobKeeper, I believe, for the tourism sector, beyond the end of the current rollout of JobKeeper. We also need the state government to subsidise marine berthing costs. We need action taken against some of these online travel agencies that have ripped off both the consumer and tourism businesses, owing them a lot of money for months of tours that have been taken. These are things that need to happen now as we try to get out of this pandemic crisis.
COVID-19: JobKeeper
Mr HUSIC (Chifley) (10:21): To ensure the safety of the nation, the Morrison government acted correctly on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer to shut our borders. It was done to protect us from the spread of coronavirus and it was absolutely the right thing to do, but with actions come consequences. If you're an aviation or tourism worker, you calculate the impact of no flights in and no flights out in a heartbeat.
The government moved quickly to stop flights, but they seem to have spared no time or care for the workers affected. Employees at Virgin certainly understand that. And so do employees at Dnata, the firm that supplies catering and other services to airlines. I learned about this firsthand when contacted by Adam from Lethbridge Park in the Chifley electorate. He's a Dnata employee. He has worked with them for over a decade, and he understandably expected that the government would be there for him when he needed them the most. He and his workmates thought they'd get access to JobKeeper. They thought this because their company believed, based on government advice, they would be included in JobKeeper. Right at the moment they stepped up for that support, the door was shut in their face. Why? Because dnata is owned by another government, and our government didn't like that. They didn't think for one minute about blokes like Adam. Sure, he works for a company that's owned by another government, but he's an Australian worker performing work on Australian soil, paying taxes here and helping the economy. He and his workmates do their bit for us, and he would rightly expect that his government would be there for him in a tough spell. Instead, after working for dnata for 11 years, Adam has been stood down and told to go find work when there's little work around. He faces the prospect of losing his livelihood.
It's important to note that JobKeeper is not held by the companies; it's supposed to be passed through to the employees. So it's not like we're handing this cash over to another government. It's helping workers here on Australian soil. Through this crisis Labor has attempted to be constructive and responsible, but being constructive does not mean being mute. I will not shut up when an average Australian worker like Adam and his workmates are being let down. These workers should get the respect and dignity they deserve by extending JobKeeper payments to them. My message to the government is simple: you did the right thing on the borders, but the wrong thing by these workers. The good news is that you can fix this today, and you should. I call on the Treasurer to do just that. Fix it today, with the stroke of a pen, and ensure that dnata workers and their families get looked after.
Moncrieff Electorate: COVID-19
Ms BELL (Moncrieff) (10:23): I'd like to acknowledge those who are currently suffering from the effects of COVID-19 on the central Gold Coast. In the first week of this crisis, I established the Moncrieff community cabinet to work together with community leaders to ensure that trusted sources of information could be shared directly with our people in the heart of the Gold Coast. Seeing our community come together during this pandemic is, indeed, a silver lining. I was pleased that together with the Gold Coast Community Fund we delivered funding for Haveafeed, the Lynne Richardson Community Centre and the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre to ensure they could provide meals to those who need extra support at this time. In Surfers Paradise, St John's Crisis Centre continues its wonderful work, creating emergency meal packs. I'm pleased that further funding was provided by the Morrison government's Community Support Package. As the Prime Minister has said, we are fighting two battles: one on the health front and one with our economy. I would like to thank those on the coast who are on the front line: our healthcare workers, supermarket workers and those in essential jobs such as construction and real estate, who have kept us moving. Of course a big thank you to you, all those Gold Coasters who have abided by social distancing rules. It's not easy, but it's because of the sacrifices that you have made that we can now look forward to the recovery sooner than we thought.
Tourism, education, events and hospitality are all key pillars in our city. As in the rest of Australia, the blow to the Gold Coast economy has been devastating. This is why I established the City Heart Taskforce, to engage with key industry sectors to build inner city strategies as we foster the economic road to recovery. It gives me the opportunity to hear updates directly from small business, tourism, hospitality, education and real estate to ensure I can continue the fight for the good people of Moncrieff here in this place. I've developed a business help finder and a resource hub on my website to assist local business with all the important questions they have about the many government support programs available. It's been inspiring to see so many small businesses adapt in these tough times, and I encourage businesses in Moncrieff to visit my website to find useful tools to help them reopen in the days ahead.
I also launched the Love Your Local campaign on my social media channels. It's critical in the months ahead that we shop local to save jobs and businesses. I commend the government's JobKeeper program. It's allowed the engine room of the Gold Coast to keep operating, albeit in a lower gear. Additionally, I was very pleased that the Morrison Government delivered a funding lifeline to our theme parks to assist with operational costs for wildlife care. It's $1,000 a week to feed just one of the many dolphins at Sea World. This will assist them greatly with their animals. There's also now a permanent boarding station to welcome international superyachts at Southport Yacht Club a soon as our borders open and the new berth is built. This is a huge vote of confidence in our city.
I was pleased to be able to deliver these boosts for the tourism industry moving into the future. We still don't have a clear picture of what the post-COVID-19 Gold Coast will look like, but I'm here for one purpose and that's to keep fighting for the people of the central Gold Coast. There's still a long way to go before we recover from this crisis, but together we will get through it and we will rebuild the heart of our beautiful city.
Ballarat Electorate: COVID-19
Ms CATHERINE KING (Ballarat) (10:27): I too want to echo the words of the member for Chifley, and indeed I think possibly the member for Hughes, when he's calling on the government to fix the issue for the dnata workers to have access to JobKeeper. This is urgent and it's incredibly important. These workers have not chosen the structure of who owns their company. In fact, many of them started when it was owned by Qantas and have worked there for a long period of time. It's absolutely incumbent on the government to fix this problem immediately. In my own community, as a result of COVID-19 our whole community, like so many others, has faced struggles unparalleled in any of our lifetimes. We've all had to change the way we work, the way we socialise, the way that we live our lives. Through it all the people in my community of Ballarat have filled me with nothing but pride. Throughout this crisis, I've made it a habit to set aside some time to make some calls to older people within my electorate just to check on how they're going. I've heard countless stories from elderly and vulnerable members of our community about the assistance that they've received and what it has meant to them. I've heard of the neighbours who have stopped by the front gate for a chat, who do the shopping, who offer a kind word or just let people know that they're there to help if they're needed. This kindness being offered by our community has made a real difference to the lives of so many.
While our community as a whole has done so much, there are, of course, those who have gone a step above. Today I want to thank them very much. First I want to thank our front-line healthcare staff, doctors, nurses, ambos, pharmacists, aged-care workers and all other practitioners. You've done an amazing job under incredible difficulty. You have quite literally put your own lives at risk for our community, and you continue to do so day in and day out. Of course, there are the hidden heroes in our hospitals as well: the cooks, the cleaners, the admin staff, everyone who keeps our hospitals and clinics turning over. Thank you too for your work.
Thank you again particularly to the aged-care workers. It's been extraordinarily difficult for older residents and their families, and your outstanding work has made it much easier for all of us.
I want to thank those workers who have kept our society functioning over the past few months: the truck drivers, supermarket workers, cleaners, bus drivers, police officers, delivery drivers, those working in our takeaway shops and every other essential worker. Without you we could not have got to where we have.
Finally and personally, I want to send a big thank you to our teachers. Like many here in this place and across the community, I have seen firsthand how much work you do as we supervise our children learning at home. The effort and absolute dedication you've shown in educating our children across our community, including my own, has been a delight to observe.
Of course, this battle isn't over. We still have long months to go before we can return to normal, but I have been touched and very encouraged by the wonderful response of our community to the challenges we have all faced.
Cowper Electorate
Mr CONAGHAN (Cowper) (10:30): Twelve months ago, this Monday, the electorate of Cowper gave me the honour of representing them in this place. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for putting their trust in me to best represent their interests. But, more importantly, I would like to recognise their determination and resilience over the past 12 months.
I came into this place on the tail end of one of the worst droughts in decades. Our farmers' dams and water tanks were empty. Their stock was sold at devastating prices. They had no crops and no money. Our towns were on level 5 restrictions, and the Macleay River had stopped flowing for the first time in living memory. So what did the people of Cowper do? They dug deep for our farmers. They bought bales of hay, they bought water, they donated, they banded together and they abided by the strict conditions for a common cause.
Then came the months and months of fires. Some were catastrophic, taking lives, livelihoods, houses, properties and swathes of land and killing livestock, native animals, flora and fauna. There was week after week of smoke haze so bad that it closed schools, businesses and decimated our tourism industry. So what did the people of Cowper do? They fought as RFS or SES officers or simply volunteered, donated, cooked or provided a shoulder to cry on. Ironically then it rained and it rained and it rained. God's sense of humour was not lost on us, but the rain washed away precious topsoil and riverbanks left barren by the fires. Tens of thousands of fish were killed in the Macleay River, and it significantly damaged the oyster industry. But, in true Aussie fashion, we got on with it.
Now there is COVID-19. My electorate is not alone. Businesses have closed, many thousands have lost jobs, the export industry has been stopped in its tracks and lives have been put on hold and, in some cases, lives have been lost. But, as always, this challenge was met by my constituents and yours. Just like the drought, just like the fires and the floods, the Australian people have shown their true character and true Australian spirit. For that, I say thank you. To the people of Cowper, I will continue to do my best to represent you, to represent your interests and to make the electorate of Cowper a better place.
Kelly, Hon. Dr Michael Joseph, AM
Mr DREYFUS (Isaacs—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business) (10:32): I rise to pay tribute to a great Labor member, a great Australian and a great friend: Mike Kelly, the retiring member for Eden-Monaro. As members here know, just before we returned for this session of parliament, Mike announced that he was retiring from politics as a result of health problems sustained during his service to our nation. I, like so many of my colleagues, am very sad to see Mike leave. I will miss his wise advice, informed by the incredible experience he brought to this place following his 20 years of service in our defence forces. That included service in Timor-Leste, Somalia, the Balkans and Iraq, where Mike's commitment and ability led to promotion after promotion until he retired as a colonel and took up a different kind of fight here in this place.
I think it says a great deal about Mike's character that, having served our nation for two decades in the military, Mike then volunteered to again serve his community and his nation here in the national parliament and that he did it in the most difficult way possible by standing in a marginal coalition-held seat. It's a testament to Mike's standing in his community that he did this not once but twice, and the second time became the first member in almost 50 years to hold Eden-Monaro in opposition.
Mike's hard-won experience in the Army, his intelligence and his deep humanity have been clearly evident throughout his parliamentary career, most notably in relation to matters of national security. I'm pleased that all sides of politics have recognised his authority in this sphere and shown due respect for Mike's views, particularly in the vital work of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, in which Mike and I have long served together.
When Labor was last in government, Mike distinguished himself in five parliamentary secretary portfolios and as Minister for Defence Materiel. Mike's unparalleled experience and firsthand understanding of how policies work in the real world, including the impact they have on real people, added immeasurably to policy development and implementation in both the Labor Party and this parliament. Our country is better and more secure for having had the benefit of Mike's many contributions as a member of this parliament. I'm going to miss Mike's wisdom, his good humour and his friendship in this place. On behalf of the Australian Labor Party and of all members of this parliament, I wish Mike, his wonderful wife, Shelly, and all his family the best for the future.
Ocean Crusaders
Mr VASTA (Bonner) (10:35): I would like to share with the House some of the outstanding work done by an environmental organisation in Bonner—Ocean Crusaders, who have removed more than 46 tonnes of marine debris this year alone. I was very pleased to deliver a $20,000 grant to help Ocean Crusaders run programs to clean up our local waterways. Just last week, they held a Bulimba Creek clean-up event and removed nearly three tonnes of rubbish—what an outstanding effort! Earlier this year, assistant minister Trevor Evans and I joined Ocean Crusaders for Clean Up Australia Day. We worked alongside dozens of volunteers, boaties and kayakers to remove a further 2.5 tonnes of rubbish from our waterways that otherwise would have ended up in our beautiful Moreton Bay.
Another clean-up event along Breakfast Creek in late April resulted in a further 800 kilograms of debris removed from the back of mangroves. It's muddy, wet and often exhausting work, but the amazing team at Ocean Crusaders, led by Ian Thomson and flanked by dozens of volunteers, is making a huge difference to our waterways. From old bicycles, tyres and plastic bottles to discarded fishing lines and more, the team at Ocean Crusaders have seen it all. Without the selfless efforts of this environmental organisation, more than 46 tonnes of rubbish would have ended up in Moreton Bay, home to an abundance of fish, dolphins, turtles, dugongs and, occasionally, whales. It's heartbreaking to discover a dead turtle and find out that it was rubbish and plastic that killed it.
In my electorate of Bonner, we are so proud of our pristine Moreton Bay, loved by boaties and fishermen. As a community, we need to do everything that we can to protect our marine life and waterways. Australians love the great outdoors. We love the water and it's our job to protect it. I was so proud to deliver funding through the Communities Environment Program to help the team at Ocean Crusaders continue the great work that they do. Large-scale waterway cleaning is a tough job, and I commend the team for their passion and commitment to healthy waterways. Bulimba Creek, Moreton Bay and my Bonner electorate are all the better for it.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Zimmerman ): In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has expired.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
COVID-19
Consideration resumed of the motion:
That the House take note of the document.
Mr HOWARTH (Petrie—Assistant Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services) (10:38): It's great to rise today and speak about Australia's health response to COVID-19. What we've seen over the last few months, not just here in Australia but around the world, has been unprecedented. We've never seen anything like this in our lifetimes, and governments right around the world have tried to deal with this health crisis, this pandemic, in the interests of their citizens and to make sure that they're kept healthy. Australia has done extremely well. We've had a low death rate, a low infection rate and high testing rates, and that's great, but I know that the government wants to ensure that we maintain that great health record and ensure that the economy opens up again.
I spoke to some of my constituents recently about how they're feeling about these issues. I've been working hard in my office talking to people on the phone and I've had a bit of feedback from local people online as well. Jules Lawrence said: 'I think our Prime Minister is doing an amazing job.' Jules, thank you for that. Quite a few people 'liked' that comment. It's pretty clear that the Prime Minister has led by example, and Australians do appreciate it. I have passed that on to him. Kelly Logan said: 'Thanks for the opportunity to answer. I think the long-term economic downturn caused by the virus will be much deadlier than the virus itself. Stress, suicide—we will not learn the true effect for a few years yet, although not entirely our government's fault, they were following orders or recommendations from the top.' Kelly, you're absolutely right. Mental health is a big issue. One of the biggest contributing factors is employment outcomes. If people lose their job or lose their business, that can have a huge impact on people's mental health. I note that the Prime Minister and our health minister, Greg Hunt, made a statement yesterday. Simon Benson wrote an article with the headline, 'PM puts mental health at top of medical agenda'. The article says:
Scott Morrison will appoint the country’s first deputy chief medical officer for mental health to steer a new pandemic plan for a feared second wave of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Australian can reveal the role—to be discussed by national cabinet on Friday—will sit alongside the Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, who has been leading the country’s response to the pandemic and has recommended mental health be elevated to a tier one issue.
So, Kelly, I want you to know that the Australian government recognises that mental health is a big issue. There has been lots of mental health support, and not just in this week's announcement, which will be discussed at national cabinet on Friday. The Morrison government has announced some $1.1 billion to support more mental health services, Medicare and domestic violence services. More help will be given to millions of Australians battling the devastating impacts of coronavirus with a $1.1 billion package which boosts mental health services, Kelly, as well as domestic violence support, Medicare assistance for people at home and emergency food relief. There are a whole lot of different supports. One is the 1800RESPECT number, the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service, which already answers around 160,000 calls a year. There is MensLine Australia, a line specifically for men who want to discuss how they're feeling. There are programs to support trafficked people, and there is support for women and children.
In my role as assistant minister in social services, we're building some $60 million worth of new housing for safe places to support 6,500 women and children a year. So there is a lot happening around mental health. The other thing that really affects people's mental health, of course, is housing. If people lose their home, often that can have a big impact on their mental health. Safe and secure housing has been a key defence in the fight against coronavirus. Obviously the Morrison Government, in partnership with state and territory governments, is making sure Australians struggling to put a roof over their heads continue to get the support they need, and more than $1.3 billion of housing loans, through the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation, is delivering more than 1,500 new social and affordable dwellings right now and refinancing a further 5,000 existing dwellings. Housing, of course, is a prime responsibility of state and territory governments, and I've been working closely with state housing ministers on what they're doing and how they're investing the more than $1.6 billion that the federal government gives them each year through the NAHA agreement. We also invest another $4½ billion a year to community housing organisations and the private sector with Commonwealth rent assistance, just to mention a few things that we're doing in this area.
Bradley Husband, a constituent, said: 'I get giving extra money to those who are forced onto unemployment because of the government shutdown, but I'm disappointed that we are throwing money at the long-term unemployed. Their circumstances haven't changed, so they did not need to be given extra money. I pay my taxes, because at the end of the day, the taxpayers who go to work every day are the ones paying it back,' and so forth. Bradley, I hear what you're saying, but, not everyone who has found themselves unemployed has done so through their own choosing. Lots of people are actively looking for work. We've seen, through the coronavirus crisis, literally tens of thousands of new people on the jobseeker payment.
I was speaking to someone this morning online who has worked with Virgin, or a company affiliated with Virgin, who's now found herself on jobseeker. She just lives down the road from me. She's a hardworking person. Many people I've come across in my own role and in my electorate are actively looking for work. That's why I run jobseeker boot camps in my electorate to connect people who are actively looking for work with employers who hire people and give them the skills and knowledge on what to do. So please be assured that people before this coronavirus impact was in place, people on Newstart—and we had some of the lowest numbers in the country ever, so our unemployment rate before coming in was in the very low fives, about 5.1 per cent nationally. So not everyone that finds themselves on Newstart is not actively looking for work, I can assure you of that.
Michelle Scalan says on Australian ownership and manufacturing that government needs to lead by example and purchase manufacture in Australia rather than buying cheaper overseas. The reason it's cheaper overseas is because their minimum wage is lower. With the advantages of workers' rights here in Australia come the disadvantages of higher costs. We all need to be buying Australian and the government needs to prioritise this and incentivise and support local manufacturing.
This is coming through very clearly to me from people in my constituencies in my electorate of Petrie that they want to see more local manufacturing, they want to see Australians supporting Australian manufacturing. I have a bit of manufacturing in our electorate. The minister for science yesterday, Karen Andrews, spoke in the parliament about Packer Leather that employs more than 100 people in my electorate. I've got other people like East Coast Bullbars in Clontarf that manufacture bullbars, and I've spoken before about the Evolve Group that are reshoring products from China back here.
Manufacturing can be done. Obviously, we need to make sure that with innovation and new advancement in technology that we take advantage of that to make more companies in Australia manufacture here. Some of the boundaries, as you said, Michelle, are higher wage costs and of course higher electricity costs and the government has focused on higher electricity costs.
I think all members in this place, in the opposition, the government and the crossbench, need to find common ground when it comes to manufacturing. So often the opposition will accuse the government:' Oh, you want to have more flexibility in business. Therefore you want to reduce workers' rights.' The fact is that that's what small businesses say to us—they do need a little bit of flexibility, and if they don't get that through the Fair Work Commission that's why more casuals are hired.
We've also seen the government dealing well with and listening to unions. I think as a parliament we can learn from this. We need to be working together to support more manufacturing here. Ministers and everyone, I think we also need to look at government procurement and get more of that in place where we can.
There are a whole lot more messages, and I only have 30 seconds to go so I can't get to everyone. Don Anderson spoke about easing restrictions in relation to restaurants. National cabinet have said that 10, 20 and 100 people are the stages. Obviously, 10 people in a small cafe or 10 people in a pub and club is hugely different. That was put in place mainly around the waiter, not the social distancing, but a waiter dealing with 10 people, then 50. State governments have the power in this place and obviously the states need to move as quickly as possible to get places open.
Mr HAYES (Fowler—Chief Opposition Whip) (10:48): Morning Speaker and colleagues. As you know, we are in unprecedented times and the responses to deal with the coronavirus require unprecedented effort. We are only going to achieve this by working together. I just want to reflect a little on the contribution from the member for Petrie. It is something we need to learn from the way we approach this coronavirus. It is not just a matter of defeating this virus; we need to actually make sure that we set the platform so that we can address challenges like this into the future and ensure Australia's continued viability.
We must remember that we've got to stay focused on our national interests. We've got to stay focused on the welfare of Australian people. It is not just about addressing the coronavirus; it is about ensuring the ongoing development of our economy and hence why we have supported the government in the various markets they've laid down in the administration of stimulus packages.
I think it's reasonable to say that what has plagued the nation are the levels of uncertainty. They certainly affect the health and the livelihoods of all those we hold dear. I see it in my own family where they have been laid off work, where work has slowed up and where businesses are now having to make various amendments to the way they're doing business or trying to do business. We supported, for that very reason, the JobKeeper package. I know there are various issues that flow from it—if you're a university student working one shift, getting paid $50 per shift a week, you qualified for the $1,500 a fortnight as part of JobKeeper; whereas if you were actually a university lecturer who's been laid off by the university, you got nothing. There are issues associated with that, and the member for Petrie, I think, is right: we must show more flexibility. But the flexibility wasn't being shown at that point. I think we've got to realise there are issues in the system that can be improved, and simply because it's been advanced by the opposition doesn't mean the government needs to turn a blind eye to it.
We are not unfamiliar with the issue of stimulus packages to meet economic challenges. You recall in the global financial crisis of 2008, we received advice—probably similar advice that the government has received from Treasury—that we needed to go hard, go fast, go early. On this occasion, I give credit to the government: they have moved in that direction. When Labor moved in that direction in 2008 and 2009, do you realise how many late-night sittings we had in this place? Every piece of legislation giving effect to stimulus packages was opposed outright on every occasion. The then opposition moved to frustrate every aspect of stimulus packages. By the way, they've dined out on that ever since. The issue about debt and deficit has become almost a catchcry for those opposite.
Ms Stanley: Not so much now.
Mr HAYES: No, you won't hear a jot of that any longer, Member for Werriwa, because they now know what it's like to be in government when you have to address the hard decisions. But it's a lesson that they've only just learnt, or should have learnt. Just a few months back—this year, in fact—addressing the Business Council of Australia, the Prime Minister described Labor's approach to the global financial crisis as 'wasteful' and 'ill disciplined'. That's a direct quote. A month before that, the current Treasurer was reflecting on Labor's approach to the GFC when he said that Labor were 'panic merchants' and 'economic neophytes'. I had to go and look up what 'neophytes' means, and it means people who are new to a situation. Boy, have they become new to a situation over recent times! Let's go back to the 2013 election. What was one of the core issues there, apart from issue of debt and deficit? They wanted a royal commission into what they called the Pink Batts fiasco. The first thing that Tony Abbott did when he formed government in 2013 was exactly that. He made good on his promise to the community—a royal commission into the stimulus packages and roof insulation. I haven't heard those opposite say anything about a royal commission into the Ruby Princess yet—not a word, nothing about the fact that it accounts for more than 200 cases of the coronavirus in our community and, regrettably, over 20 deaths. By their own standard—provided they don't want to be tarred as hypocrites—wouldn't you think they'd have something to say about that?
By the way, I think Gladys Berejiklian is doing a very good job. I know there is a police investigation occurring into the Ruby Princess. She ensured that there would be a judicial inquiry into this. She is a person who has shown leadership. As a matter of fact, I commend all those who serve on the national cabinet, because I think what we are seeing from them as a group is national leadership.
Having said all that, I want to talk about the jobseeker payment. It is going to be very important to us. I cannot see that, as a community, in six months, on the designated date, this is going to be halved. That would cause sheer devastation across all communities. And we still need to look at wage subsidies, because businesses are not going to just snap back on that six-month date set in the initial legislation. It's clear to me that, despite the government's predetermined date for the subsidies to conclude, businesses, jobs, households and the economy are not going to automatically snap back. We need to make sure that we are investing in the future of this country, and that's not just the future that extends to what we do in six months or to the next election. We need a long-term commitment now to ensure the viability of our industries, to ensure they can re-establish themselves, employ Australian workers and get out and compete on the international scale, supporting our economy. It is going to take a lot of heavy lifting, for generations, by whoever is in government. This will not stop at the next election or the one after that. This is going to take a significant commitment.
There is one other thing I'd like to raise in the short time I have left. Deputy Speaker, you've heard me say on many occasions that my electorate is very multicultural. As a matter of fact, I probably receive, with the member for Werriwa, the majority of refugees that come into this country. There are many refugees currently living in our communities supported by charities like St Vincent de Paul, Food Angel, Inspire Church and other groups because they are getting nothing and yet, like everyone else, they are trying to survive. It reflects badly on us, because these people can't be sent somewhere else. They're here. They're human beings. We must look after them as well.
Mr SIMMONDS (Ryan) (10:58): It's a great pleasure to rise in the chamber today to commend the efforts of the government on the COVID-19 pandemic response and to commend and thank all Australians, and particularly the residents of my electorate of Ryan, for all the sacrifices and work that they have put in to ensure that Australia has been a success in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a lot of work still to be done, by any measure, but I don't think it is inappropriate to take the opportunity to take stock of just how well Australians have rallied together and helped us achieve a flattening of the curve after the initial health crisis.
I'd particularly like to thank our frontline workers and all residents of the Ryan electorate. If you're not a frontline worker—if you're not working in the supermarket or in the respiratory clinic, or whatever it may be—your job is probably being affected and, to keep your fellow Australians safe, you are probably making incredible sacrifices in terms of your employment prospects, your work and your financial situation. So thank you to all Australians.
I very strongly support the approach that the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health, Minister Hunt, took to set the priority for our nation when COVID first started to really bite. The priority was that we were going to make sure that the health response came first. We were going to prioritise the health of every Australian. We were going to work together as a community to make sure that we protected the health and lives of our fellow Australians. Every death that has occurred because of COVID-19 is horrible, and we grieve with those families who have lost loved ones as we would grieve for members of our own family.
A division having been called in the House of Representatives—
Proceedings suspended from 11:00 to 11:11
Mr SIMMONDS: As I was saying, I'd like to thank all the residents of the Ryan electorate for the work that they have put into banding together with their fellow Australians to help us tackle this COVID-19 crisis. The government stands firmly with them, with over $300 billion in support—an unprecedented level of support—to help Australians rally together and make sure that we tackle the health crisis, as we have done, keep the virus suppressed, and also now get our economy up and going again. I think it's fair to take the opportunity to take stock of the results we have achieved. They are simply the envy of the world. Our preparedness and our comprehensive, swift and decisive action early on have seen a flattened curve and a health system, as Minister Hunt outlined in his ministerial statement, that now has the capability to deal with future outbreaks and, most importantly, to save lives, as we need to. The response has led to the ultimate goal: saving lives and saving livelihoods. When we look around the world at the terrible impact that the virus has wrought on nations that are close to our heart, like the US and the UK, we realise how truly lucky we are to have achieved what we have. Minister Hunt and his team, along with the Prime Minister, have led us through this unprecedented crisis and achieved results that many thought impossible just a few months ago. I thank them, as I have thanked all Australians and members of the Ryan electorate.
They didn't act alone. We have all had to make huge sacrifices. It's had a huge impact on people's lives. They've stayed at home; they've followed advice from government and medical experts; they've taken up hygiene practices; they've downloaded the app; and they continue to live in a COVID-safe way. We are also well ahead when it comes to testing. This is an incredibly important element for keeping our nation safe. It's through our hardworking health professionals across the country that we have been able to enhance and increase our testing regime to the extent that we have and the extent that is needed. We are relying on them now more than ever, and they have truly stepped up to the task. This week we opened our 100th respiratory clinic across Australia, funded by the federal government. These clinics now allow for anyone experiencing respiratory symptoms that are mild to moderate—these are a sore throat, a cough, as you saw with our Treasurer earlier in the week, a runny nose—to go and get tested. Being on top of testing means that we are on top of the virus, which we are, and we can keep it suppressed.
I'd particularly like to acknowledge the respiratory clinic in my own electorate of Ryan, which opened up a few weeks ago. It's led by Kenmore Clinics and the fantastic team there of Dr Nick Bourke and others, who are doing a great job of getting it up and running so fast for our community. I had the opportunity to tour through the clinic with them before they opened to patients. They took me through all the requirements, systems and processes that they had in place to keep their patients safe and to keep the medical team safe as well. They're doing a fantastic job. As I said, they're truly at the front line, but they do it willingly, and they do it because they are as keen as we all are to make sure that they support the health of their local community.
I'd now like to turn my focus to an area of health that will no doubt be an ongoing focus—I know it's an ongoing focus for myself, but I am certain it will now be an ongoing focus for this government—and that is mental health and our mental health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, I reached out to every resident of the Ryan electorate via their letterboxes to let them know about the mental health support that is available to them, both from the government and also from some fantastic private and community not-for-profits that are doing great work. It's something that I'm particularly passionate about, in particular at this time when so many Australians are doing it tough. So many of them are anxious about the future. But, as Minister Hunt said yesterday:
Just as the Government is modelling the spread of COVID-19 infection to continue flattening the curve, we are also closely monitoring mental health service usage so that we can respond quickly and thus lessen the mental health impacts of the pandemic …
As Australians know, this means that we are not out of the woods yet. We also know that the impacts of COVID-19 will be felt for many months and many years ahead. So it is vital that we have a plan for the mental health of Australians and their wellbeing as we continue on the road out.
On Friday, at the national cabinet, some more detail around this will be presented. We'll be working in conjunction with state governments, using all the resources that the Commonwealth and our national federation has available to it to make sure that all Australians know that there is help available for them. Just as we did with the health aspects of this crisis, we are getting ahead of the curve when it comes to tackling the mental health impacts that this pandemic is having and will continue to have. We are lucky to have incredible support agencies in this country: headspace, Beyond Blue, Lifeline, Kids Helpline and the Black Dog Institute, to name just a few. They are doing a brilliant job in these heightened conditions, and this government will continue to make sure that they are well resourced so they are up to the task.
Not long ago in my electorate of Ryan, prior to the coronavirus, I visited the local headspace centre at Taringa as they celebrated their fifth birthday. It was really a moving occasion. Several past patients of the centre spoke about their stories, which was incredibly courageous of them—talking about their journey from day one, when they decided to take the step to seek help. They sought that help with headspace. They found a home and a place where they felt comfortable to talk about their anxieties and their concerns for the future, and they found that support and that confidence that they needed. For some of them, it has truly transformed their lives. So, in a time when many of us are facing uncertainty—whether it be through a concern for our health or the health of our family, our financial security or our job security—it is so important that each and every Australian knows that whatever their concern is, they do not have to face it alone.
There has been much talk of a simple phrase used throughout the world during this pandemic: 'Isolation does not mean you're alone.' We understand that Australians who are staying at home and doing their part are feeling removed from their friends, their families and their support networks, and that is why we are quick to put in place a range of additional resources to better connect Australians. At the end of March, we announced a $74 million commitment to support the mental health and wellbeing of Australians. We established Head to Health, a digital portal for all Australians, a single source of information and an important online tool to seek help. It has some key focuses for Australians: maintain a healthy lifestyle, stay positive, stay informed and access support. I encourage all residents of the Ryan electorate and all Australians who need that support to go to Head to Health, our digital portal. We are all here to support you.
Mr BURNS (Macnamara) (11:19): I rise to join many of the colleagues here in these quite extraordinary and historic times to take note of the ministerial statement on the COVID-19 pandemic provided by the Minister for Health and responded to by the shadow minister for health. These are extraordinary and historic times. These are times that few of us could have predicted we would be living through in 2020. It got off to a really devastating start for many Australians, through the bushfires. Only a few months later, Australians find themselves in probably the largest health and economic challenge that we have ever faced in all of our collective lifetimes. It has dramatically changed life as we know it in Australia.
Today there are a few people that I want to say thank you to, and I want to talk about some of the ways we can use this pandemic to improve our country and our society. But, first of all, I think it's worth saying: this is obviously not an easy time to be in government, but it is possibly the most important time to be in government. I know that many members on the other side, including the minister and senior government ministers, would have worked pretty hard over this period. Their staff would have worked pretty hard too, and I haven't heard them being acknowledged enough in this discussion. I'm sure there are a lot of government staff who have put their own lives on pause for the last few months. As someone who's been a government staffer for a period of time, I know it can be a pretty demanding and thankless job at times, and I just want to acknowledge the work that many of them have done.
I also would say that there has been an air and a tone put by the government that they've done a great job, that this is all over and it's all in the past now. But, to be honest, I don't think that could be further from the truth. This pandemic is only just beginning, and we are at the foot of the mountain. Hopefully the number of cases in Australia will remain at a low level, but I fear that that might not be the case. I fear that, as restrictions are now being lifted around the country, we will see an increase in cases, which means we will see people losing their lives to this devastating virus. It also means a prolonged economic hurt, which, as many speakers have outlined before, has a range of other personal and health consequences that we need to acknowledge. One good thing that the Prime Minister did was establish a national cabinet. I think the premiers' contribution to the national cabinet has been profound throughout this whole entire pandemic. I especially want to acknowledge the leadership shown by the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, and the Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, who have had the 'go hard, go early' approach to this. They haven't waited to be right in order to act, and to act decisively, to protect and save as many lives as possible, and that is absolutely the right approach.
I also want to acknowledge the nurses, the doctors, the cleaners, the health workers and the mental health workers—the people who have picked up the phone at Beyond Blue. They are the people on the front line of this health crisis, who, in many ways and on many days, have put their own personal health and wellbeing on the line in order to save other people. We've heard many instances, both in Australia and around the world, of doctors and nurses having to potentially put themselves in harm's way in order to save others. It is a truly remarkable thing to see our health workers fight in the same heroic spirit as our firefighters did during the bushfires, and they should be recognised for such.
Personally, I want to thank David Forbes, a professor of mental health who joined me for a conversation a few weeks ago to talk about some of the ways in which we can all cope with the mental health challenges and the anxiety that people are facing. He, along with many of his colleagues, are doing a fabulous job helping people adapt to the changes of society that we're facing.
Our supermarket workers and our delivery drivers have done their job stoically. They have been turning up to work in the face of probably some of the most difficult days of this pandemic, when people have really been feeling the panic and the anxiety of what it means to be living through this pandemic and have been taking it out on some of our workers, who are literally keeping us alive and keeping the supply chains to people alive. I absolutely want to recognise the job that our supermarket workers, our restaurant workers, our food suppliers and our delivery drivers have done so stoically in Australia. They have fed Australians; they've kept Australians at home safely. They've done a wonderful job, and we thank them.
I'd like to thank our aged-care workers. It's been really hard; we haven't been able to see my grandmother throughout this entire pandemic. Nor have we seen my parents, but we can speak to them on Zoom, which has been far more accessible. But my grandmother has been isolated throughout this entire pandemic. It's been really hard, but I thank all the workers who have been looking after her and all the other residents who are finding themselves in a pretty vulnerable position in aged-care homes, as we've seen.
Our teachers and early educators were right to be nervous at the start. I'm really glad, obviously, to see kids slowly coming back to school, but this is a nervous time for them. As someone who's spent a little bit of time in the classroom, trying to and get four- and five-year-olds to socially distance is akin to herding cats. They can be, at times, unruly. I think many parents have had a new-found sense of appreciation for our teachers throughout this crisis. To parents and kids who are going through this: thank you for all your efforts. Throughout the country it has been a collective experience and a collective effort for us all to get through it.
I think that there are some things to mention before we move on. The No. 1 preventive health measure that we have needed throughout this pandemic has been our housing. We've all been instructed to stay at home in order to protect ourselves and each other throughout this pandemic. But that is simply impossible if you don't have a home, and it's simply impossible if your home is not a safe place to be. This pandemic has shone a spotlight on how important housing is to our society and how important housing is to our individual health and sense of safety and security. To be frank, our housing system was broken before this crisis. Our waiting lists were too long. It took far too long to be able to get into a house if you needed one. There simply isn't enough housing in Australia. One of the things that we can do, coming out of this coronavirus, is to build more homes. We need to build more homes—not just homes that can be bought as investment properties but homes that young people can purchase as their first homes and affordable homes for people to live in in order to protect themselves and society—because this isn't going away.
We're also going to need economic drivers and stimulus inside Australia, and building homes is going to be the perfect thing. That happened after the Great Depression. FDR, the great president, started a huge investment in housing in order to make housing more secure. After World War II, it was Curtin and Chifley who undertook a huge housing construction program. Even after the global financial crisis, the Rudd government embarked on a huge social housing investment program in order to kickstart the economy and provide people with housing.
We need to do better to help people who have casual and insecure work, especially our artists, our hospitality workers and our tourism workers. There are such people in my electorate, and I am so lucky to represent the great parts of St Kilda and Elwood and Port Melbourne. These are some of Melbourne's iconic suburbs, but these are also some of the areas that have been hit hardest in this economic crisis, and that has a whole range of health and economic consequences that we need to recognise and rectify. These are businesses and workers and creative institutions that need our support at this time, and they should be allowed to access JobKeeper. They should be accessing some of the government services, and the government should be doing more to support those industries and those workers.
Finally, I just want to make this point: this has been a really difficult period of government—no doubt. In think the Victorian government has done an outstanding job in focusing on saving Victorian lives. It takes a special kind of self-indulgence to make the focus of a pandemic or a crisis of this nature all about one's own political party. Unfortunately, the Victorian Liberal Party has done just that. Their self-indulgent, late-night tweeting, focused on things like golf and getting bats out of leafy suburbs of Melbourne, has been nothing but schoolyard political games that they should be ashamed of. They only show that they are unfit for government. At the same time, the Victorian government has shown that they are focused on saving Victorian lives.
Mr LEESER (Berowra) (11:29): Every day, decisions taken in this building determine the direction of our country, but in recent weeks there's been immediacy to the consequences of our decisions. Over the weeks, I've listened to people describe the decisions they are trying to take in their own lives about whether to take on more debt for a business whose future cannot be certain. Do they cut their losses and find a new path, or do they defend what they've spent years building even if it costs them in retirement? I've listened to the sighs of relief when JobKeeper was announced as people said they could finally see beyond the next few weeks. I've known that the frameworks that we set in place for childcare funding would not only make a difference to family budgets but also mean the viability of businesses, the survival of careers and the wellbeing of our youngest Australians. I've spoken to doctors desperately trying to serve patients over the telephone, worried about the mental health of those living alone. Personally, I've watched my wife's grandmother peer over the gate at her great-grandson, desperate to catch just a glimpse of him even though he didn't understand why he had to be held back and couldn't run to her.
Being a representative of a community at this time means feeling the weight of each person's circumstances and doing the best we can to act on their behalf. It's meant speaking to ministers' offices and departments to try to work out how to give the 120,000 people of Berowra whatever lifeline we can. It's also meant helping Australians who are caught abroad to find avenues home. It's been humbling and a great honour, as it is every day in this job.
It's also been humbling to watch our community respond. On Anzac Day this year, I was more hopeful than ever about the compact between the generations of Australians, as young people honoured those who have served in our armed services, not at a majestic march or a solemn service but quietly in front of their homes. Watching online as Evie Morrison from Northholm Grammar School played the Last Post on the flute against the backdrop of a cloud-clad Hawkesbury River is a moment etched on my mind. I will never forget the moving, unique Anzac Day Dawn Service, standing at the front of our home, watching as our neighbours came out one by one into their driveways to create a small, silent, simple ceremony which underscored the bonds between our fellow Australians, which seem stronger today than at any time that I can remember.
Community organisations in my electorate are doing amazing work. Meals on Wheels have adapted how they operate to make sure the service wouldn't need to shut down if someone were infected and to broaden the range of people they serve to cater for those in isolation. Churches like Berowra Baptist, Thornleigh Community Baptist and Normanhurst Uniting are shopping for people who are isolated, calling people who may need help and, in the case of Berowra Baptist, adopting single people into their families to be the one visitor a household could have. Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury has answered more than 19,000 calls over the past two months. Fusion, The Dish and Hornsby Connect have expanded their food services to continue to feed people facing hardship. Parents Beyond Breakup took their meetings online and found that it opened up support to many people who wouldn't otherwise have attended but who are feeling particularly helpless. Their meeting attendance has doubled.
Childcare centres have continued to provide safe and secure places so critical workers can keep doing their work and are offering children a nurturing and educational environment when the world outside their doors seems uncertain. Schools have demonstrated extraordinary resilience not only in adapting to online learning with incredible speed but in going above and beyond to show care and support to their students, and parents challenged by trying to educate their children at home have a new respect for teachers.
This has also been a time of grief. Funerals with limited attendance have been a particular hardship, and I think of many people who have had to grieve at a distance, who have been unable to say goodbye and for whom the loss of a loved one has been made so much more complex. There has been a gripping fear for some who have not known whether financial obligations can be met and whether everything that has been worked for will be lost. For some there has been enormous endurance to spend time in close quarters with people who are difficult to be with, and fraught relationships have not had an easy release valve.
This has also been a time of learning. Lots of sentences have begun with 'All I really want is', followed by the listing of simple things which we often take for granted: the health of our families, a barbecue at the park with friends, the smell of coffee brewed by a good barista, the chance to drop children off at the school gate. We've paid fresh attention to the simple parts of our lives and we've realised that the things that matter to us most sometimes don't get much room on our to-do lists. We've been reminded how much we love our elderly family and friends, we've had time to teach our children to tie their shoes or ride their bikes and we've learnt that we can adapt faster than we thought. We have sped up the processes that will serve us well going forward. Telehealth services were expanded out of necessity, but the service makes so much sense that we should look at holding onto it. Similarly, we've learned how to work in more flexible ways and to focus on the things that matter, not just the busyness itself.
This week marks a particularly significant return to recovery. In New South Wales our schools are up and running, family visits have resumed and on the weekend I will be able to sit down for a moment at my local cafe to read the news and have some food. Activity that's been on hold is just starting to resume. While I don't want to understate the difficulties that Australians face, as a society we need to take stock of the pace of our lives before COVID-19, reflect on the opportunities we've had to slow things down and work out how we'll spend more time on the important rather than forever chasing the urgent. We now have a chance to address some of the challenges that we've had in the too-hard basket and to move into the recovery with fresh perspective.
I want to say three things about the recovery phase. First, we've been reminded that the economic fundamentals of Australia are very good. In particular, the crisis has reminded us about the importance of having a free, open, modern economy. When we talk about the economy, we're not talking about a nebulous concept. We're talking about every exchange we make with our neighbours, every pipe laid by a plumber, every plant propagated by a nursery, every necklace made by a jeweller, every haircut at the barber. It's the great activity of life and culture that we want to restore. A strong economy means all this activity is free to happen, accessing the capital it needs to get going, seeing return on that investment, exchanging and trading as it should. It means farmers sending food to other parts of the world and it means supplies coming here to let us build machines to make our work more efficient.
We've spent the last two months getting used to the government telling us what to do. This should not last. As with postwar reconstruction, the government will need to do a lot by way of planning and managing—more than it would need to in usual times—but this must always be in the service of free industry and activity of the Australian people. History tells us that governments that hold onto controls too long inevitably face the backlash of a free people. Ultimately, governments can never plan or manage the incredibly vibrant, creative, diverse and versatile activity that the free market can produce. Every decision we take, even those to plan and manage our way out of the crisis, must have as the ultimate goal placing responsibility back into the hands of all of us to keep our economy and communities strong.
Second, we've seen some of the fault lines in our services and infrastructure in recent weeks, and it's time to sort them out. Telecommunications has been absolutely inadequate in my community and no doubt in other places too. We cannot afford to keep ignoring this. I believe Telstra has a particular responsibility in this regard, as their service is absolutely woeful in my electorate. It is time they stepped up. Telcos should be like turning on the tap and getting water, and yet these last two months have shown us how essential it is for modern life. I will not let this issue go.
Transport also needs to be improved. The average commute in Sydney is well over an hour every day. The time people have had back in their lives without sitting in traffic has made a major difference to the wellbeing of everyone. We have to continue to improve Sydney's transport by investing significantly in infrastructure projects like NorthConnex.
Third and finally, I want to say something about immigration. The shadow immigration minister made some injudicious comments recently about immigration and overseas workers in this country. As chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, let me be clear. Migration should be part of Australia's future. Skilled migration creates jobs. When people want to commit to Australia as their home, when they want to integrate, work and serve this community and be part of building our future, and when that desire matches the needs and interests of the Australian community, we should celebrate it. In my committee work, I recently met a business in Mount Gambier that has been able to employ 50 local people, including people with disabilities, because of the migration of two skilled pastry chefs from the Philippines to do a job in a location that no Australian was willing or qualified to do. Those migrants came to Australia, shared their skills and trained five apprentices, who then in turn trained others and grew the business. To play cheap politics with immigration ultimately puts our economic wellbeing at risk.
In recent weeks Australia has been tested. We've demonstrated that this is the best place on Earth. In Australia, things work. COVID-19 has reminded us how much we have that is good. Outstanding political leadership; a well-functioning government and institutions that can rise to the challenge; the world's best health care system; dedication to the value of every life and every person, no matter how old or how sick; a culture of responsibility and social concern. It is these things that I'm committed to defending and these things that are worth fighting for as we move into the next phase of this recovery.
Ms TEMPLEMAN (Macquarie) (11:39): The people of the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury have had a hell of a 2020. The smoke from bushfires had barely cleared, allowing us to breathe again, allowing businesses to open and tourists to return, when coronavirus hit. At times the Blue Mountains has been considered a hot spot of the COVID-19, with people urged to be tested for even the slightest symptom. Our distilleries ditched gin for sanitiser. Hawkesbury's Karu Distillery supplied as much high-proof spirit to be used as a sanitiser as they could to essential services such as charities, police and food services. Owners Nick and Ally Ayres wanted to help out any way they could. And Lee Etherington from Wild Hibiscus Flower Company also confessed to me at one point that he had sacrificed a thousand litres of his best crafted gin into sanitiser. He just wanted to help. This sacrifice was being repeated in small and medium businesses all over my electorate. Small business has shown enormous innovation and creativity. I hope that my Macquarie Marketplace map has been a help and has made it easier to find out which businesses were still trading and still open, particularly at the height of the restrictions.
Like many members, people flooded my office with calls to check that they were obeying the rules, because they wanted to be part of protecting the community from the most serious health crisis that anyone living has seen. We pulled together, with most people managing to put politics aside to work for the common good and the health of every person in our community. But we weren't unscathed. Sadly, the deaths at the Newmarch aged-care facility on our doorstep have meant local families have tragically lost loved ones. Others have had an anxious wait as family members remain in Newmarch.
Throughout all of this, the nursing staff of aged-care facilities have kept on caring. Nurses in hospitals have kept on caring. Doctors and admin staff, supported by the heroes of our time, cleaners, have kept on caring. I've spoken to nurses who, having been exposed to COVID-19, spent two weeks in isolation to make sure they hadn't contracted the virus, returning to work to continue that care on the very first day that they could. We really got to know who the essential workers are. I hope we appreciate them all, and I'm stunned to hear suggestions from the New South Wales government that workers like nurses are facing a possible pay freeze. Some thanks for the risks that they've taken!
I was able to show the community's appreciation in a very small way by delivering some sweet treats to our local hospitals, Hawkesbury, Springwood and Blue Mountains, drawing on local businesses like Auntie May's in Bullaburra, the Humble Bakehouse in Bligh Park and the Ori Cafe in Springwood. It was just something to help brighten their afternoon in their relentless work.
You really can't thank essential workers for their efforts in this health crisis without talking about teachers. While there is no denying that it has been a really confusing time for teachers, principals and parents, they've all been desperate to understand the health advice about whether they can be back in the classroom and how best to be back in the classroom. The creation of online modules, the supervision of children of essential workers in a school, often juggling the home schooling of their own children, protecting themselves and their families—all of this has meant a huge load for members of the teaching profession. We thank them. Of course there is the anxiety of casual teachers who were excluded from the JobKeeper program. That starts to touch on a second major health issue that my constituents and many others face: how to maintain good mental health in the face of a terribly uncertain and troublesome time.
Another profession carrying a big burden is the early learning profession. Workers in the full range of child care and early learning environments, from family day carers to preschools and long day care centres, have faced an unprecedented situation, where their clients are receiving free child care. While on this side of the House we have a deep belief in the importance of quality early learning, and we love the principle of free child care, none of us expected that the people to be paying the price for the free child care would be the centres themselves or their workers. It is complicated criteria that the government has applied, and directors tell me that they are still coming to terms with it and how they provide the quality learning environment they want with an income that is capped. Their income is capped, but the number of children who come back as restrictions ease is not. The bluntness of JobKeeper as a wage subsidy tool means that newer casuals don't qualify, and it leads to some part-timers earning more and some full-timers earning less. Directors have rostering nightmares.
I've been grateful to the family day carers, like Moochy Kids and Cubbyhouse, and the directors of Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains centres, who've Zoomed with me and shared with me their challenges and the lengths they've gone to to keep their children safe. I say to them: you've let me into the anxious world that you're surviving in, and you've allowed me and Labor to advocate on your behalf.
Parents are also feeling the stress—from the ones who called because they were worried their centre might close to people like Kieran Ashton, who wants his youngest daughter to join his son at Cubbyhouse in coming months and recognises that Tracey won't get paid for it. He's happy to pay but he isn't allowed, so it's a system with flaws.
Early Learning on George, in the Hawkesbury, is one centre battling bureaucracy. Director Karen Nightingale tried to have her numbers reassessed through exceptional circumstances, because her centre had two days of low numbers after a tree fell across the centre's backyard in a storm, which was during the reporting period. Her application was rejected based on her post-COVID numbers, but Karen tells me she's seeing an increase in attendances. She will be back to 97 per cent capacity every day next week, but funding it on the lower income. While Karen recognises JobKeeper has made a massive difference—and we knew a wage subsidy would; that's why we badgered the government and we're pleased they introduced it—she won't have funding for all the children returning next week without a review of her income. These are the challenges that people are facing day to day.
I can't stress how important financial security is to helping people keep good mental health at this time. To even suggest that financial support is to be wound back or reviewed in some way, or that you have to keep proving eligibility, is a really cruel thing to do, especially given that only this week is JobKeeper money starting to get into most people's accounts.
There are so many frontline people who have carried us through this difficult time, and will continue to as this health crisis goes on. There are the supermarket workers—the drivers who've made sure deliveries get to the door. Supermarkets in some cases have worked 24 hours a day to keep supermarket shelves stocked and restocked. Those people deserve our thanks. Another very visible frontline worker is the Centrelink worker. I was really pleased to help the Centrelink workers at Katoomba, Springwood and Windsor take a moment to have coffee or donuts. It was just a small gesture of thanks for the long queues of distressed people they've been trying to help through this process.
I also want to commend the volunteers in my electorate who helped me reach out to older people. I'm talking about people like Kristy and Jules, Shane and Anne, and Suzanne and Katherine, who made nearly a thousand calls to older people just to check that they were okay. Some of those calls were quick chats and some were much lengthier conversations. Hopefully, they helped people at a time when they may have been feeling very alone and isolated in their homes. We were also able to solve a few other problems for them, and we'll continue to do that because this isn't over; we know that and, as a community, we all have to accept it.
I also want to single out the arts sector. We have a huge arts community in the Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury. It's not just the front people, the actors and the lead singers; it's the band that sits behind them, the roadies who get the gear on stage, the producers, the lighting operators, the stagehands, the filmmakers. There are so many professions connected to the arts. Within theatres, it's the people who sell the tickets or sell you a drink at the bar at interval. Many of these people are missing out on any government support because the arts sector often has very short-term contracts and people haven't qualified for JobKeeper. I really urge the government to listen to the arts sector. We have relied on them while we've been in a routine that's much closer to home. We've listened to them and we've watched them. We need all these people to be ready to get back onstage for us when coronavirus is under greater control and we're allowed to get back outside more and to meet in larger groups. I really beg the government to step up to this. These are ordinary people in my community and they need your help. This government needs to keep supporting people as we move through what will continue to be challenging times.
Dr ALLEN (Higgins) (11:49): I rise to speak about something that's very close to my heart and very close to the heart of many members in this chamber, including the member for Bowman and the member for Lyne. I'd like to acknowledge the good work of the members of this House who have been members of our medical profession and of the research sector, because we have had bipartisan support with regard to our COVID response, and we are very proud of what the Morrison government has achieved, right from the very get-go, with the coronavirus pandemic.
Let's just wind back to the end of January—in fact, earlier than that, because as early as early January reports were coming through about an unknown novel virus, the coronavirus. We should be very proud of the fact that our medical research community, which has been well funded over many years—although I will always advocate for more funding for medical research; it is an area that we can continue to grow and develop and it is hugely resourceful about the funds that it does have—had a very quick response to developing a test so that we could identify the coronavirus case load here in Australia. In fact, we were way ahead of the rest of the world. Looking at the US, they were six weeks behind the development of a test to identify whether coronavirus indeed had a foothold in their community.
Australians were on the front foot with regard to testing, but we were also on the front foot in identifying the impact that coronavirus was going to have on the whole world. In fact, two weeks before the WHO decided to call this a COVID-19 pandemic, Australia had already identified that it was going to be a problem. From a public health research point of view—speaking as someone who has experience in public health—I was incredibly pleased that we were on the front foot with regard to containing coronavirus from reaching our shores.
There are many public health measures that we took very early on, to some level of criticism from the international community, which are now looked on as being a very thoughtful, considered and prepared response. The first one was to ensure that those Chinese Australians who were returning from Wuhan were offered quarantine on Christmas Island. That was followed shortly after by the Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers being offered quarantine at Howard Springs—and actually I have a number of constituents who were on the Diamond Princess. We worked hand in glove with the authorities to make sure that those citizens were safely returned to Australia. We then had a number of border controls put in place with regard to travel from mainland China, followed quickly by Iran, South Korea and Italy. I firmly believe that those measures were probably the most important measures in ensuring that Australia managed to carve its own curve.
The second set of measures, which we should congratulate all Australians for engaging in, was the public health measure of both quarantining those who have coronavirus and those who are at high risk of coronavirus—at the moment they include cruise ship passengers and international travellers returning from overseas—and the physical and social distancing that all Australians have undertaken with, I would say, a good deal of grace. It is not easy for people to have had to undertake social distancing and physical distancing. It's had a profound impact on people's lives, on their mental health and on their ability to enjoy their lives with their families. It has also had an impact on people's ability to run their businesses or to have jobs. We know that the social licence that has been lent to the government to undertake good health practice measures is something that all Australians should feel very proud of.
Moving on from those important public health measures, we should congratulate the Minister for Health; the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy; and the national cabinet, which has been informed by good health advice, good medical advice and good public health advice and which has included both the federal and the state and territory authorities, for ensuring that our flattening of the curve has provided us time to prepare for the future. If we wind back, even just two months ago, it was very clear that COVID-19 was taking off overseas. We did not know whether it was going to be problematic here in Australia, but we needed to prepare. With a huge amount of focused and directed work, the Department of Health has prepared our healthcare system for what might lie ahead. That has included a huge amount of investment and preparedness in three areas.
The first area is the area of intensive care. We increased our capacity from 2,200 ventilator beds to 7,500. It's a wonderful problem to have that we haven't yet had to use those ventilator beds. But, if we wind back simply two months, there was a great fear that we were going to have an overwhelmed healthcare system. If we look to Italy and to the UK and now to the US, we can see that that is exactly what has happened. We have all heard the horror stories from New York and from Italy, where they have been triaging people who have been at very critical stages of their health, and the terrible decisions that have had to be made by healthcare practitioners around the world, which has been very worrying. But, because we've been prepared, because we've flattened the curve, we've been able to make sure that those ventilator beds will be available.
The second issue is PPE equipment. We should be very proud of the investment that has been made in ensuring our supply chain will ensure that there is enough PPE equipment. The third area of great importance is telehealth. Australians will have a legacy going forward with regard to telehealth. I think Australians understand that having to take hours off work in order to go and sit in a waiting room to see a doctor can sometimes be rather inconvenient. Telehealth has provided an ability for frontline doctors to get off the front line during this COVID-19 pandemic. It has allowed patients to not have to go to an environment where they might be at risk of coronavirus, and it has ensured that we were able to protect our PPE supply when we had some critical issues with the supply chain. So, those factors that have been very important.
The fourth factor that has been very important is our testing capability. Again, I congratulate this government for the resources that have been put into making sure we have sufficient testing to be able to assess who is at risk of coronavirus, and to expand the testing capabilities. I know, personally, of colleagues around the world who have great admiration for our ability to test our general and highly symptomatic population. I have colleagues in the UK who themselves have had coronavirus, both the wife and the husband. They have three children who have had symptoms. I asked them, 'Did you go and get testing for coronavirus for your children?' They said, 'No, we didn't bother.' We know that there's a lot of undertesting going on in other places because they haven't had the supply chains, they haven't had the resources, and they haven't had the investment by Health in the acute healthcare sector.
Finally, I would like to talk about the significant investment that the Department of Health has made in support of the health and wellbeing of Australians. We should really congratulate this government in ensuring that we understand the long-term implications that the changes to our economy might have on the mental health of all Australians. We've worked in conjunction with peak organisations, including Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute, to establish the support services to help people through the pandemic, including targeted initiatives for frontline health workers. We've bolstered mental health support providers, who are facing an unprecedented surge in calls, through a $10 million investment to expand their capabilities, and we've provided extra support for senior Australians to help them connect online. We've also provided extra support for headspace, which is such an important mental health support institute. For their digital work, we were able to provide a $6.75 million investment. We've also developed culturally appropriate mental health and wellbeing resources for Indigenous Australians, and increased support for Commonwealth community mental health clients with a $28 million investment.
Overall, the Morrison government has invested $8 billion in our COVID health and mental health response. This is unprecedented. It has been targeted. It has had very clear outcomes for what we have been aiming to achieve. Three months ago it would have been hard to imagine what we are seeing the devastating outcome around the world, with hundreds of thousands of coronavirus cases and tens of thousands of deaths. It isn't over overseas. It isn't over around the world. But Australia has contained this epidemic, and, with the COVIDSafe app—which I encourage everyone watching this to download now—we have, for the first time in the history of mankind, an ability to contain, control and track COVID-19, if we are to get outbreaks going forward, to prevent a resurgence and to help keep all Australians safe now and into the future.
Mr ZAPPIA (Makin) (11:59): There is widespread acknowledgement that Australia has managed the COVID-19 outbreak better than most other countries. That's the result of a nation led by the federal government—and I acknowledge that—acting on the advice of experts, working as one with state government jurisdictions, with opposition parties across Australia, and working constructively in the national interest. In looking forward, we must continue to put the national interest first, because we are not in the clear yet, nor have all of the economic impacts surfaced and hit home.
I begin my remarks by expressing my sincere sympathies to those families that have been hit particularly hard—families of the 98 people who have already lost their lives, others who faced life-threatening moments in their lives, those who were unable to visit their elderly parents in nursing homes and the like, and those who weren't able to attend weddings and, even worse, funerals of loved ones. These are significant defining moments in a person's life that these people have missed out on, and I'm sure it will be part of their life as they go into the future.
One of the consoling reminders about all of this is that it could have been worse for Australia. I believe it wasn't worse, because this nation worked together as one. But it could have been worse had it not been for all of the health workers, the aged-care workers, the childcare workers, the teachers, the police, the emergency service workers, the people that work at Centrelink and the tax office, the people that work in the supermarkets, and wherever else they worked to keep the economy and this country ticking over. To all of those people—and I can't list them all individually—I say thank you, because it was as a result of your input that this nation got through to this point in the way that it has.
As I reflect on the past three months, there are some issues that I want to briefly touch on. First is the issue of racism. COVID-19 has seen a worldwide flare-up of racism against Asian people in particular. It has been fuelled by constant reference, including by US President Trump, to 'the Chinese virus'. I simply say this: racism exists and it always has. But, when it leads to violence against innocent people because of their skin colour or their appearance, it is simply not acceptable and it should be condemned.
Secondly, I turn to the support measures, and I commend the government for the measures that it brought in. They were necessary and well intentioned. This side of politics has supported them every step of the way. However, there are too many Australians that have fallen through the gaps. Over a million people were not entitled to the JobKeeper support for trivial reasons such as being in casual employment or part-time employment and not quite meeting the 12-month employment criterion and things such as that. They missed out. Students, council workers, over 5,000 dnata workers, people in the arts sector, people in charities and people in universities have missed out on a legitimate entitlement in line with what others were getting, all because of unintended consequences. The government could easily close those gaps, and they have the opportunity and the ability to do so. My understanding is that the government predicted that some six million Australians would be supported by the JobKeeper package. It's unlikely that we'll get to that six million figure; therefore, there is capacity for the government to extend the program to those who I believe it unintentionally left out and to give them the same support. Australia prides itself on being a nation of a fair go, and it is simply not fair that so many deserving people are missing out.
I now turn to child care. Again, the government's package was well intentioned, and I accept that, but it was poorly thought through. My view is that, again, it could be rectified, and we could ensure that the childcare sector is supported in an even and balanced way so that childcare centres and staff from those centres are not forced to miss out because the package was not structured appropriately. It is not a criticism of government, because I accept that everything had to be done with a degree of urgency. It is simply an observation that, having brought in a package, we could make it better, and I ask the government to do so.
That also includes those people who are here from overseas and can't leave the country, even if they want to. People might have been here on work visas or simply on visitors visas, but they are here. Many of them have no work rights, no income and no assistance. In fact, in many cases, their visas are about to expire. They can't leave, so they have to apply for an extension to their visa. That comes at a cost of several hundred dollars. It's a penalty in addition to what they currently face. I don't believe it would be unreasonable for the government to waive the fees in this instance under these circumstances. So, again, I ask the government to do that. But I also ask the government to look at how else it might be able to assist those people who we allowed into the country—they came here either as tourists or to help as workers in our economy—and who now find themselves in the situation that they do.
Another matter I will briefly touch on, which doesn't concern this nation directly, relates to Taiwan. If there is a shining light and a shining example of how well this COVID-19 pandemic can be managed, it's the country of Taiwan. Up until the last report I read, they had 440-odd cases and seven deaths. That's in a population of 24 million—almost the size of Australia. I believe we could learn from what Taiwan did, and yet Taiwan are not a member of the World Health Organization. They have been barred from it as observers. I would like to think that our government might support them in at least being observers to the next World Health Organization meeting.
The last issue I'm going to turn to is how COVID-19 has exposed many of the weaknesses that we have in Australia, in particular the weakness that we now face as a result of having allowed our manufacturing sector to decline to the extent that it has. In the fifties and sixties, the manufacturing sector in this country accounted for about 28 per cent of GDP and 28 per cent of employment. Today it accounts for less than six per cent of GDP and probably around seven per cent of employment. It is not just the jobs that we have lost, which is important in itself, but the loss of capacity and ability to do things and make things at a time of critical need. And we saw that with COVID-19, with so many of the health products that we needed in short supply. I have to commend the number of companies who quickly tried to adjust so that they could make them. But the reality is that it is times like this that the importance of the manufacturing sector is exposed, as it was during World War II. And yet this country has allowed manufacturing to go backwards.
I believe that it would be in the national interest for us, once again, to look at the importance of manufacturing with the research and development it provides, the innovation it provides, the jobs it provides, the security it provides and the benefits to the economy that it provides, and re-invest in it and try to rebuild manufacturing across Australia.
In closing, I thank people across Australia who have, in one way or another, come together to respond to COVID-19. It is something that our world, at least in my lifetime, has never experienced before. I accept that we are dealing with a matter with which there is no textbook we can look to as to how it was dealt with in the past and what we should do. I accept that mistakes might be made—they will probably be made because people will be acting in good faith. Having said that, if we realise that things are not going as planned, let's work together and correct the problems that arise as they do, because there will be more problems arising, particularly as we get the economic fallout hitting us in the months ahead, so that we can ensure that the people of this country get the best support from government that they can.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Dr Gillespie ): I thank the member for Makin for that brilliant contribution and those insightful observations.
Mrs ARCHER (Bass) (12:10): Much has been said this week about the government's strong economic response to the coronavirus, but today I want to talk about the swift and strong health response by our government, which has put Australia in an enviable position amongst many other countries in the world. In an unprecedented crisis, feeling unsure and uncertain would be understandable, but the consistent and sound leadership of Prime Minister, Scott Morrison; the health minister, Greg Hunt; the Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, supported by the national cabinet, has provided Australians with a plan for us to follow, and, without a doubt, it is working.
Though even one death is one death too many, to have had less than 100 deaths in a global pandemic which has claimed the lives of almost 300,000 people worldwide is something that we should be proud of. Every single person who has listened to the rules, stayed home and practised good hygiene and appropriate social distancing has made a difference. We can look at the statistics and realise that our actions do matter and do make a difference.
In Tasmania, we have just entered our sixth day of no new COVID-19 cases—a cause for cautious optimism—though I must stress we are all acutely aware that we are not out of the woods yet. In total, our state has seen 225 cases of COVID-19, with 187 recovered and 13 deaths. In my community of Northern Tasmania, which I represent, we have had just 23 of the total 225 cases. Many of these cases are connected with cruise ships, in particular the Ruby Princess.
I'd like to take the time to commend Tasmania's Premier, Peter Gutwein, for his prompt, sound and decisive decision-making, which has led to our island state being in a much, much better position than we otherwise may have found ourselves in. The Premier was just a number of weeks into his new role when the pandemic hit, and I'm sure I speak for all Tasmanians when I say he has done an amazing job in leading our state.
I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank the relentless work undertaken by healthcare professionals in our community, and highlight some of the tremendous work that they have done. To the staff at the Launceston General Hospital, particularly those in the COVID ward who took on the care of coronavirus cases after an outbreak in the north-west, I say thank you. It was particularly disheartening to see negative comments on social media last week after a worker on the ward tested positive to COVID-19. These professionals are doing their jobs and putting their lives at risk every day for our community, and they deserve nothing less than our thanks and our praise.
Thank you to the midwives on the maternity ward at the Launceston General Hospital, who have worked tirelessly to support new mothers in our community and expecting parents from the north-west who had to shift north after the north-west hospitals were closed due to a coronavirus outbreak. There was somewhat of a baby boom, with 91 babies born in the unit over two weeks in April, which was far more than the average of 30 the ward usually sees at this time of the year. Thank you for taking such good care of all the mums and dads at a time of so much uncertainty. To Dr Jerome Muir Wilson and the crew at the Launceston Health Hub, who have worked so efficiently and quickly with us to get a much-needed respiratory clinic off the ground, thank you. The clinic, part of the government's $2.4 billion health package in response to COVID-19, with assessment, testing and treatment, is playing a vital role in supporting our community during the pandemic. Importantly, it is also reducing pressure on the Launceston General Hospital's emergency department and allowing for other local medical practices to treat people who aren't showing signs of the coronavirus.
In a community with high representation of the elderly, vulnerable and those with chronic disease, there was always a concern that, beyond being susceptible to COVID-19, the general health of many in Northern Tasmania would suffer as people stayed away from seeing their general practitioner or specialist. I have been urging anyone in our community with existing chronic health conditions not to neglect their regular health. This is an area where telehealth services, in particular, have become critical. Our government's package, put together in a matter of days at a cost of more than $600 million, has undoubtedly saved lives. Our community can also now have their PBS medicines delivered to their home from a community pharmacy of their choice through the COVID-19 Home Medicine Service.
Of course, we have seen more than just concern over the physical impact that the coronavirus can have on the community. The mental health impact has been devastating for many and will have long-running repercussions. For those who have lost jobs, for those who are feeling incredibly lonely due to isolation and social distancing measures and for those who are feeling heightened anxiety about the pandemic it has been a terribly difficult time. Mental health consultations have formed part of the telehealth response, and our government has also funded an additional $74 million in mental health services, assisting to support additional services for Lifeline, Kids' Helpline and creating a dedicated Coronavirus Helpline with beyondblue. With calls to Lifeline jumping more than 20 per cent and beyondblue seeing a 30 per cent increase in calls and emails, this investment has literally been lifesaving for many.
In my own community, I've undertaken a variety of measures to communicate the importance of looking after our mental health, and I'd particularly like to thank Caroline Thain, clinical leader at headspace Launceston, for taking the time to film some important videos with me on how we can look after ourselves and our family during this time.
Although not on the frontline of health, it would also be remiss of me not to acknowledge the educators in our community. Certainly, when the school year returned in the warm summer sun of early February, we could not have foreseen the major disruption that would occur before term 1 had really got underway and students had found their footing in their new classes. You have been asked to do so much and so quickly while still being so supportive of the students that you care for. It has not gone unnoticed, and we thank you.
Finally, a special thank you goes to the whole northern Tasmanian community. It has been a very long and difficult few months so far, and there is still more work ahead of us. Thank you, all, for doing the right thing to protect everyone in our community. By staying home you have saved lives. Keep going. Remain vigilant. We are all in this together.
Mr SNOWDON (Lingiari) (12:17): It's my great pleasure to make a contribution to this discussion. At the outset I want to endorse very strongly the remarks which were made in the main chamber in response to the statement from the Minister for Health, the Honourable Greg Hunt, member for Flinders, by the shadow minister for health, the member for McMahon. I don't want to repeat the comments he made other than to acknowledge and thank, again, Minister Greg Hunt for his work. He first consulted with me over the impact of COVID-19 at the opening of the detention facility on Christmas Island. He was very forthright in those discussions, and I was very pleased that he was able to have them with me.
I also want to acknowledge the numerous discussions I've had with Commonwealth officials over the months including Professor Brendan Murphy and the input he's provided to all of us. In particular I want to thank Dr Lucas de Toca. He's someone I've known for some years. Prior to coming to Canberra, he worked at Miwatj Aboriginal health service in north-east Arnhem Land. He's provided invaluable insights and received our comments most readily when they've been made by myself and others, including the shadow minister Linda Burney, the member for Barton, Senator Pat Dodson and Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. I want to thank them and all of the people they work with for the outstanding work they've been doing, as I thank all those involved in working with the Australian community to keep us safe. Whether they're health workers in the hospitals—the nurses, the doctors, the cleaners, the administrators—or those people stacking shelves in Woolworths or the transport drivers providing logistical support, all of those people need to be given our acknowledgement and thanks. I want to most particularly acknowledge the leadership shown in the Northern Territory by Chief Minister Michael Gunner; his minister Natasha Fyles; and the chief medical officer, Hugh Heggie, and thank them for all their discussions with us.
I want to raise the forbearance of the community in dealing with the isolation they've been forced to suffer, and that's been really very important. The closure of the borders by the Northern Territory government has meant that we've effectively had no community cases of COVID-19 in the Northern Territory, so we're effectively free of COVID at the moment. And we want to keep it that way. The Northern Territory government has now got a road map to our new normal, which I'm happy to show you, Deputy Speaker Mitchell. That's important, and that will lead eventually—on 18 June, if not sooner—with the lifting of the biosecurity boundaries, which are affecting the ability of Aboriginal people to travel into main centres. But it's a very, very important initiative which they've undertaken to control the spread of the virus, if it were to come into the Northern Territory.
The issue I want to spend just a few minutes talking about is the question of contingency planning should there be a case or cases arising in remote parts of this country and impacting on the most vulnerable people in the Australian community: Aboriginal people in remote communities. I want to particularly make an observation about a document which has been released by AMSANT and the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress in the Northern Territory entitled 'The COVID-19 contain-and-test strategy for remote Aboriginal communities'. For some weeks now I've been most concerned about what these contingency plans might look like should there be an outbreak of COVID-19 in an Aboriginal community. A contain-and-test strategy, which this is, is about a first response. It flows out of the experience of the community of Vo in northern Italy, and is about dealing with a specific communicable disease emergency for a strictly defined location for a strictly defined period. And, in this case, it would only be in areas which have got the support and acknowledgement of the Aboriginal organisations and Aboriginal communities in northern Australia. I do note that this strategy has the strong support of acknowledged public health experts, such as Dr John Boffa in the Northern Territory, and Dr Paul Torzillo from Nganampa Health Council in South Australia.
I just want to tell you what a contain-and-test strategy is. This is important in getting your heads around what this means in an isolated, remote community. It means confining all community members to their households until two rounds of testing are completed—up to 14 days—and that's a significant requirement; multiple rounds of testing for COVID-19, except children under five; offering relocation of particularly vulnerable elderly or sick people to safe quarantine accommodation outside the community; restricting all movement in and out of the community; everyone in the community wearing masks; and relocating people identified with COVID-19 out of their households to safe accommodation outside of the community, including those with significant vulnerabilities to be relocated as close as possible to hospital based care. That in itself may present an issue in remote parts of this country, because the availability of hospital beds for this particular purpose will be limited. I think of my own community in Alice Springs where the hospital has done extraordinarily good work.
But the importance of this is it's an evidence based approach. It's built on what's happened elsewhere, and in this case it's been called for by Aboriginal organisations across the north of Australia. And it's very different. There's a problem with how we think about this stuff as there's a hangover from the intervention of 2007 by John Howard and Mal Brough into the Northern Territory where people were compelled to do things, and having the Army present, et cetera. Well, this is not like that. This is about engaging with the Aboriginal community through their organisations, them coming up with a plan in this instance—and we call it a contain-and-test strategy—and having it implemented and supported by government.
It means selling a hard message to those communities, because what we're effectively doing is locking them down. So, if there is an occurrence in a remote community, you take out those people who have been impacted initially, then you test all the households, effectively. You isolate people and you isolate the community. This creates all sorts of issues around logistical support, around what the public health requirements might be and the health hardware that's required. And I note there's a proposal, which I only saw yesterday for the Commonwealth, state and territory housing infrastructure response to COVID-19, put out by a number of people, including Healthabitat, the Nganampa Health Council, Housing for Health Incubator and the Fulcrum Agency, which has some merit. What it's talking about is how you provide the health hardware to deal with instances like this.
So, whilst we've got to talk about the broader issues—and we should—around food security, access to logistics, and isolation, what we've got to understand is that there are a whole range of other measures which need to be thought of when we're talking about contingency plans for an outbreak of COVID-19 in a remote part of this country. And this approach, which has been advanced by AMSANT with the support of Aboriginal health organisations in the Northern Territory, around a contain-and-test strategy, is something I applaud and something I would seek support of from the government.
I know it's something which is being discussed right now but, as I say, I've been raising questions about contingency planning for some weeks. I'm most concerned to make sure that we have input into those processes, understanding the expert health advice which we've got to receive and act upon, and that's what I'd be saying we would be doing in this case. And so I commend the approach which they are proposing.
That's not to say it's not without difficulties because there would be. But I am sure that, if this nation wants to grapple with what could be into the future—bearing in mind, in the Northern Territory's case and in South Australia, their boundaries are closed. The possibility of importing a communicable case of COVID is very limited at the moment, but that's not to say it's not there. And if it were to appear in a remote place, it would provide all sorts of difficulties for us all. So I commend the approach which is being proposed by AMSANT with the support of the Aboriginal health organisations, particularly congress from Alice Springs. (Time expired)
Debate adjourned.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr LEESER (Berowra) (12:279): I move:
That the Federation Chamber do now adjourn.
COVID-19
Mr CONNELLY (Stirling) (12:28): Coronavirus has presented Australia with less of an opportunity and more of an imperative to fundamentally change for the better. One significant change required is the development of a national resilience strategy. This strategy will identify ways in which we can diversify and de-risk across critical supply chains, and so ensure that Australia remains fit to meet the changed world ahead.
The difficulty we have faced recently in securing additional surgical masks from overseas is emblematic of the wider requirement to better identify and mitigate supply chain risks. Australian ingenuity and resolve saw the domestic production capabilities of Australia for surgical masks increase from two million masks per year to around 200 million masks per year. And the challenge now is to identify where else we need to fix unhealthy levels of dependence.
The Institute for Economic Research reports that 90 per cent of Australia's medicines are imported and around one-third of Australians rely on daily prescribed medicines. Australia has almost no capacity to manufacture any active pharmaceutical product for essential medicines. A supply chain disruption of lifesaving medicines is also not just some far-off, distant possibility. In fact, last year, here in Australia, there was a shortage of the lifesaving EpiPen Jr, used to treat anaphylactic reactions in children. Manufacturing and quality failures in the supply chain caused Australian suppliers to run out in December 2019.
As an island nation, separated from much of the world by vast ocean distances, Australia must also continue enhancing its liquid fuel security. At the end of February, Australia had 81 days worth of oil supplies which included 25 days of stocks in overseas ports and in transit to Australia. We're in the process of closing the gap on our 90-day stockpiling commitment under the International Energy Agency treaty, and our Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, has committed $94 million to buy oil at the currently low global prices to be stored at the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This is Australia's first government-owned oil reserve for domestic fuel security, and Minister Taylor has also flagged our next move to establish significant onshore liquid fuel storage. It's also essential that we retain a capacity to refine fuel here in Australia.
Recent years have seen an overreliance on overseas students in the university education sector. The high fees paid by foreign students have now been greatly disrupted. Here again, we must diversify and derisk if we are to avoid massive disruptions in the future.
The process of creating a national resilience strategy would involve an assessment to identify, alongside essential medicines, liquid fuels and tertiary education, where else Australia is exposed to an unbalanced supply chain risk. To achieve national resilience, we will also need a far more efficient workforce in the post-COVID environment, so we must consider labour and energy costs which are essential ingredients for viable domestic manufacturing. Another example where Australia is already on the right track is the establishment last year of the Critical Minerals Facilitation Office under the Critical Minerals Strategy initiative, similar to that which has also been developed in the United States This is a very welcome step and Australia must now provide our developing critical minerals miners with tangible support if we expect to see any shift in global market dominance in critical minerals. We need to put our shoulder to the wheel in support of great Australian critical minerals miners like Northern Minerals in my home state of Western Australia.
Even a few weeks ago, calls for a national resilience strategy would scarcely have resonated. The blow which has been delivered by COVID-19 has changed everything. We must now meet this changed world as it is, in all its complexity and with all its challenges, with the confidence to make our own changes and to secure Australia's future.
Gilmore Electorate: Sassafras
Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (12:33): I rise today to talk about a small rural community in my electorate that you may not have heard of. The village of Sassafras is the most westerly point of the Shoalhaven local government area, right up against the border of my electorate. The closest township is Nerriga, where the local pub is a popular stopover between Nowra and Braidwood. Sassafras also happens to be one of the areas of my electorate that was hardest hit by the bushfires. In early March I attended the Sassafras community recovery meeting hosted by Shoalhaven council at the Nerriga pub. It's a shame that the minister wasn't there to hear what the people of Sassafras had to say, so I thought I would share their experiences. To say that the people of Sassafras are angry is an understatement. They feel totally and completely abandoned by this government, forgotten by my Liberal predecessors as well as by their Liberal state members. And, to be honest, who can blame them?
The day after the meeting I went back to meet with some of the residents I had spoken with the night before, like Greg, who is a farmer. Greg's story was tough to hear, but tougher to experience. He and his wife stayed to defend their property and farm. Greg described the fire, as it came roaring towards his property, like an explosion. It destroyed everything in its path. Greg's wife had trouble returning to the property. Greg's paddock-to-plate farm had suffered through the drought for three years—the same drought the government said we were not in. Following advice from the Department of Primary Industries, Greg reduced his stock numbers, something that many farmers have, heartbreakingly, been forced to do. Greg's wife had to return to work to help pay the bills. Their on-farm income decreased and they were forced to find new ways of getting by. To help add to their supplemental income, they started an orchard. In the season just gone, the trees had finally matured. They were anticipating sales of produce such as fruit, berries and olives. They were excited and feeling like perhaps they might finally get back on their feet, but these hopes were dashed when bushfire raged through their property.
The orchard was destroyed. They also lost farm infrastructure, machinery and stock feed. They decided to apply for the government's $75,000 disaster assistance grant for primary producers, but they were rejected because their on-farm income wasn't enough, because Greg's wife's income was deemed too high, because the government could not understand the impact the drought had on them. Greg was devastated. I want to read a little bit of what Greg told me so you can hear it in his own words: 'We are left feeling very let down, despite the government's talk of support for those that need it. After the drought, the direct impact of the fires, the period of isolation and continuing to live with the devastation that has been wrought and now the new restrictions in force due to the coronavirus, the hope that we had been given has been taken from us.' It is heartbreaking. I am still fighting for Greg.
That same day I also met with Alison and Richard from Sassafras Nuts, a completely off-grid commercial chestnut and walnut farm. Visitors can come to the farm to pick nuts and have lunch surrounded by the beautiful trees. Sadly, their farm was badly hit by the fires. They lost 30-year-old walnut trees, two nursery areas and 200 young chestnuts. They showed me how they were working to repair and protect their damaged trees—the 'burns unit', they call it. Most of their income is made during one month of the year. During the harvest, they hire labourers to help, but, without sales, they can't invest in those jobs. They rely on the tourists, but, with fires and now COVID-19, the tourists have diminished. It will take four to five years before their trees produce again. Alison and Richard are upbeat. They are resilient and they are fighters. But, aside from the $75,000 primary producer grant, which barely touched the sides on what needed to be done at the farm, they were receiving no help.
From so many people I spoke to in Sassafras, I heard the same thing: They are sick and tired of being forgotten. They need help. To everyone in Sassafras, I say: I will not forget you. I will keep standing with you and standing up for you. I just hope the government will start listening.
Leichhardt Electorate: Local Government Elections
Mr ENTSCH (Leichhardt) (12:38): The recent Queensland local government elections saw sweeping changes to those who will lead their local communities across my electorate for the next four years. The local government elections saw eight new mayors elected in our various Indigenous communities located across my electorate. They include Wujal Wujal Mayor Bradley Creek, Hope Vale Mayor Jason Woibo, Kowanyama Mayor Robert Sands, Pormpuraaw Mayor Richard Tarpencha, Aurukun Mayor Kerrie Tamwoy, Napranum Mayor Janita Motton, Northern Peninsula Area Mayor Patricia Yusia and Torres Strait Island Regional Council Mayor Phillemon Mosby.
There are actually only two mayors in the Indigenous communities across my electorate who were re-elected. One was Lockhart River Mayor Wayne Butcher, and the other was Mapoon Shire Mayor Aileen Addo. Torres Shire Council Mayor Vonda Malone and Weipa Town Authority Chair Michael Rowlands, along with Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott, were all re-elected.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the outgoing mayors and councillors across the various indigenous communities for their service over the past four years. I would also like to welcome and acknowledge all of the new incoming councillors across the Indigenous communities to their new roles. We are all facing unprecedented challenges that the coronavirus pandemic has presented, and there's absolutely no doubt that their leadership in moving forward is going to be more important than ever.
A little closer to home, the Mareeba Shire Council elected a new leader in Mayor Angela Toppin following the retirement of long-serving mayor and former Queensland minister Tommy Gilmore. Douglas Shire Council elected a new leader in Michael Kerr, who defeated the incumbent, Julia Leu, in a hard fought race, and it's great to see that Michael has really hit the ground running and is making some great decisions there. There's certainly a whole new spark in what's happening in the Douglas Shire, and I look forward to working very closely with him into the future.
Cassowary Coast Regional Council and Tablelands Regional Council also saw new leaders elected in Mayor Mark Nolan and Mayor Rod Marti. Rod replaces previous Mayor of Tablelands Regional Council Joe Paronella, who had also decided, like Tom Gilmore from Mareeba, that it was time to retire.
Cairns Regional Council Mayor Bob Manning was re-elected for the third time, but there were a few new faces across the various council divisions, including Amy Eden, Kristy Valley, Rob Pyne and Rhonda Coghlan. We're certainly looking forward to their new enthusiasm, and I'd like to take the opportunity to congratulate Mayor Manning on his re-election and extend my congratulations to the four new division councillors for their success. I'd also like to thank the unsuccessful councillor, John Schilling, who had done a great job. Unfortunately, in this job you never know how you will go, particularly with a difficult election like we had. The COVID election was very difficult to campaign in, but I think he should be recognised for the work that he did and also thank him for his contribution.
Local government will no doubt play a very critical role as we chart the road to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Our local elected representatives, irrespective of where they are located, will be instrumental in leading their respective communities along this path.
Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to wish all the new mayors and councillors all the success in their roles. I look forward to meeting with them personally when the time to do so is appropriate and I'm able to travel to these far-reaching areas.
JobKeeper Payment
Mr BANDT (Melbourne—Leader of the Australian Greens) (12:42): I've heard from hundreds of people in my electorate of Melbourne about the JobKeeper payment. Whilst we cautiously welcome the introduction of this scheme after pressuring the government for weeks to introduce a wage subsidy, JobKeeper is still leaving millions behind. Over one million casual workers, half of whom are young people, remain excluded. Approximately one million temporary working visa holders are excluded. Our arts and creative sector has been left behind, and we've seen the government do whatever it takes to ensure that schools and universities are denied the support that they so crucially need. This is shameful and unacceptable. Many of those who may be eligible struggle to keep up with the constantly changing and confusing information. Those who are relying on this payment, including small businesses across the country, have not been able to confirm their eligibility before being required to make significant financial decisions, and this is causing anxiety and exposing many workers and employees to financial risk.
During this time of crisis, workers and businesses need clarity, certainty and support. Unfortunately, the government continues to cause confusion. To hear members of the government and now the Labour Party saying that the JobKeeper payment might be too high for some people and potentially rip money away from low-paid workers who've already received it is disappointing to say the least. We cannot pit workers against each other and leave them in the lurch. The government must expand the JobKeeper program but not at the cost of low-paid workers.
Just this morning we heard of the horrifying job figures, which highlight the scale of the job crisis we face. Nearly four in 10 young people do not have a job or do not have enough hours of work. The government is using young people as economic cannon fodder in this crisis, and this is a warning: unless the government massively invests to recover from this crisis, already skyrocketing unemployment and underemployment for young people will reach catastrophic levels in the coming months and years. Today's figures reveal an unemployment rate of 6.2 per cent, with 33.7 per cent of young people out of work or not having enough hours of work, even without taking into account any hidden impact of the job keeper payment. But these concerning figures obscure the extent of the crisis we face, because an additional 490,000 people are currently not in the labour force and are not being counted in our unemployment figures. This government is jeopardising the future of young people, and we need to invest in nation-building projects to create decent jobs and a living income to give young people hope.
I also want to take this opportunity to talk about one of the groups of workers who have gone largely and publicly unrecognised during this pandemic: childcare workers. These are frontline workers and educators who, despite any trepidation they feel in these uncertain times, show up to work day in, day out with a smile on their face. These workers reassure, care for and educate our nation's youngest minds, and, as the father of two daughters under the age of five, I know how much child care means to my family, and I'm sure every parent around the country can agree that childcare workers hold a special place in their families' hearts. I talked about the trepidation that child care workers and centres are feeling right now, because I've spoken with childcare centre operators in my electorate of Melbourne, and they have told me that they are barely surviving under this government's COVID-19 childcare package. They've told me that where their expenses have gone up—what with needing to buy more wipes and sanitiser, for example—their incomes have gone down. While parents no longer have to pay childcare fees, the government's relief package only covers about 50 per cent of these centres' pre-COVID income, with centres expected to make up the remaining income with JobKeeper payments, but the JobKeeper payment is full of holes and childcare centres are struggling because JobKeeper is falling short.
One childcare centre in my electorate formerly employed several educators who held temporary working visas. They've been excluded from the government's package, but the government is also saying to the centre, 'It's okay. Rely on JobKeeper.' Well, it's not available. The centre's operators were distressed when they told me that they'd had to let these workers go because they were ineligible for JobKeeper. Another centre in my electorate is currently short-staffed. In a time when so many people are out of work, this childcare centre is unable to fill their staffing vacancies, because the government has excluded their workers from receiving JobKeeper. Childcare centres have told me they're having to drastically reduce staffing hours, shorten the centre's operating hours and let go of valued staff just to stay open. I know, and parents across the country all know, that child care is an essential service. It's so essential that I believe government should make free and universal child care permanent. As a parent, I want to thank the childcare workers who look after kids and educate children right across the country. As an MP, I urge the government to fix up this mess and provide childcare centres with the support they need to continue doing the essential work they do.
COVID-19
Dr GILLESPIE (Lyne) (12:48): I rise to speak briefly about the COVID-19 crisis and how Australia's handled it. I'm so pleased to be back in parliament representing the good people of Lyne, who'd like to say a big thankyou and give a big shout-out to our Prime Minister, Minister Hunt, Minister Andrews and all the team, including Professor Brendan Murphy, and all the national cabinet contributions, because most people realise Australia's done a great job. But we shouldn't get complacent. This COVID-19 virus is new to all of us. We don't have any innate immunity. It is very infective. The little fomites, the bits that you leave behind on furniture and railings or in cars, trains or buses, are very infective for hours and sometimes days. That's why the personal infection control practices are so important. If you do have a cough or a sniffle, get tested. But, if you're going to cough in public, run into a corner to do it. Cough into your elbow. Wash your hands. All these personal things that you can control help prevent the spread of fomites, which could rub on or touch somebody else's hand.
The main thing you have to realise is that this is just the first round; it's like the first quarter of an AFL game. We have contained it and we are in control at the first break, but there are many more runs of this virus around the world. The nature of a new virus is that it will continue to spread around the world till 60 per cent of people are immune, and then it will naturally fade, because you lose half the people that it can jump to. That's the thing with viruses: they can't reproduce themselves; they need to be inside another cell. That's why what they need is the next person who is not immune to jump into, and then they will survive and grow and replicate and then jump to the next person. So all this isolation and containment is to stop the spread, and, until we become immune or get an effective treatment—or get a vaccine, which would be even better—this virus will continue to spread. We're at the first quarter break; we have many more to go. We shouldn't think it wasn't as bad as people said; you just have to look around the world.
We have done some amazing things and, again, I'd like to give great shout-outs to the whole health team. With increasing our capacity in personal protective equipment, Minister Andrews has done a great job sourcing it from around the world. There was competition, and there still is competition. A great job has been done increasing our ventilator capacity, increasing our ICU capacity, setting up 436 respiratory clinics in case there are bigger waves, and developing our own app. I was so proud this morning to stand with some of my other medical colleagues. We put out a press release and had a conference supporting the app. It was multi-partisan support. It is a unique, Australian developed app and 5.6 million people have downloaded it so far. Can I encourage anyone who is listening to get more downloads, because it is a numbers game—the more people who have it the better. It does exactly what the government says, and no-one else can use it except the health authorities. The tech heads have looked at it surreptitiously. The Australian Cyber Security Centre has looked at it. It does exactly what it does. It just records close contacts of more than 15 minutes, if you've got your app enabled on bluetooth. There are some furphies out there. We've designed it specifically for Australia. It's different from the Apple thing. As long as you've installed it and enabled it, it will go. It's better than what Apple designed; it's better than what anyone has designed, and it will help use 2020 technology to turbocharge tracing of any contacts. It's voluntary. You control it. You enable it. If they ring you and say, 'Your phone's been in contact with someone we've just diagnosed, and your number came up; can we get your contacts?' it's still up to you, because all the data stays on your phone. It only goes up into the servers later on, when you press 'send'. But, if your phone has been next to another phone, within 1½ metres, for more than 15 minutes, this little digital handshake will happen. So it's really important. Again, it's great Australian ingenuity that has done it.
I mentioned a cure or a vaccine. Australia is at the forefront of this. We have many universities involved, but I suspect that a treatment might arrive more quickly than a vaccine, and it will be a combination therapy, like it has been for other viruses like hepatitis C and HIV and similar things like TB. (Time expired.)
Moreton Electorate: COVID-19
Mr PERRETT (Moreton) (12:53): I welcomed in the start of 2020 with my family in Queensland. I wasn't in Hawaii. I knew at the time that 2020 was going to be a challenging year. I knew that because Australia was burning, and this existential crisis entailed more than finding clean air to breathe. Many Australians saw voracious bushfires greedily engulfing our wide brown land, threatening homes and lives. On New Year's Day, 15 bushfire evacuation centres were open to cater to those who had to escape the fires. By 6 January public buildings and offices in Canberra were closed after this area recorded air quality that would close down a coalmine.
On 7 January, amidst the bushfire crisis, another threat was taking hold. Chinese authorities confirmed that they'd identified a novel virus now known as COVID-19. Australians can be forgiven for not taking notice, as we were otherwise occupied. The bushfires were still raging. Three American firefighters died on 23 January, when their Hercules crashed while they battled bushfires in southern New South Wales. Two days later, on 25 January, the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Australia. By 31 January there were nine cases confirmed in Australia. And so this horrible crisis snuck up on Australians, not while we were sleeping but while we were already trying to contain a bushfire disaster that has left 3½ thousand Australians homeless and claimed 34 lives.
Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our lives have been turned upside down. In a country that prides itself on its freedoms, we have been ordered to stay home, not to travel, not to visit our parents or grandparents, not to hug and not to shake hands, and there has been heartache. Businesses have ceased operating, jobs have been lost, people have found themselves in circumstances they never thought possible. My Moreton people are doing it tough, but, when my community faces a crisis, we come together and we help those who need it most. I saw this during the 2011 floods that devastated a third of my electorate and I've seen it recently.
So, when people began to isolate, the community groups in Moreton worked together. They adapted their practices so they could help those who had lost their income, those with illnesses, those who were vulnerable and the elderly. My office took hundreds of calls and emails from people seeking to help with things such as filling medical scripts, providing boxes of food, making home-cooked meals for affordable prices, providing fuel and even helping to cover utility bills. Sometimes people have simply scheduled in a weekly chat with somebody who is feeling alone and scared. These wonderful and dedicated helpers are from groups such as St David's Neighbourhood Centre, Kyabra Community Association, Belong, Sherwood Neighbourhood Centre, Community Plus+, Village Avenue Community Church, Meals on Wheels at Acacia Ridge, Sunnybank/Salisbury, Yeronga and Sherwood, the Kuraby Mosque, the Cathay Community Association, the Sherwood Services Club, the ADRA Community Centre and so many more. I often find myself in awe of the staff and volunteers who work these organisations. They turn up every day, although the work is tough, and they make a huge difference in people's lives.
We are likely to be living with the consequences of this health crisis for a very long time. We know that the economic fallout will be immense. We are not going to just snap back, as Prime Minister Morrison has blithely suggested. The people of Moreton will need more than marketing slogans to cope with the economic hardship. We'll need real leadership. There will be hard decisions to make, and these decisions should be guided by a commitment to jobs and skills for those who need them, retraining, a fair dinkum safety net that supports people, and an infrastructure program that helps to rebuild the nation. Our challenge must be to recover stronger and better. Don't waste a crisis. It's a chance that we don't have very often, thankfully, but don't waste it. We want a more resilient society. We want people to have secure work. We don't want jobseekers stuck in poverty and we don't want scientists ignored—for example, if they warn us about dangerous climate change.
I want my community to rebuild better than it was before, and Moreton was pretty awesome before COVID-19 hit. We have some way to go before we're out of this health crisis. We have to stay vigilant. I know that there are hard days to come. I know that the people in community groups in Moreton are kind, and perhaps sometimes that compassion won't be endless. But I've seen people who are generous and dedicated to helping others. We'll get through this together because we're a supportive and cohesive community. I know that kindness will prevail and that we will come through this together, we will be stronger and better and we will counter the voices of those who are trying to divide us and exploit this crisis to create division. Instead, I know, we'll be kinder and stronger together.
Question agreed to.
Federation Chamber adjourned at 12:58
QUESTIONS IN WRITING
Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program
(Question No. 318)
Ms Owens asked the Minister representing the Minister for Youth and Sport, in writing, on 26 February 2020:
In respect of the Community Sport Infrastructure Grants Program 2019, referred to in the article, 'Sporting clubs denied funding in Sport Australia grants scandal want answers from Government' by Nour Haydar and Jack Snape (ABC News, 29 January 2020): (1) Why was the City of Parramatta Council's $500,000 application for the sport grant scheme rejected, even though the application had a high score of 83 as assessed by Sport Australia. (2) Was there any instruction from the then Minister for Sports to Sport Australia to reject this application.
Mr Hunt: The Minister for Youth and Sport has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:
Sport Australia recommended the application from the City of Parramatta in round 3 of the Community Sport Infrastructure grant program, however the application was not included in the final list of approved applications.
Human Rights
(Question No. 332)
Mr Leeser asked the Treasurer,in writing, on 05 March 2020:Since 4 January 2012 when the Human Rights Parliamentary Scrutiny Act 2011 commenced:(1) How many officers in your department have worked on human rights compatibility statements.(2) How many human rights compatibility statements have been issued.(3) What is the APS level of staff who have worked on these statements and what is the salary range of each of those levels.(4) Approximately how many hours of staff time has been spent preparing compatibility statements and responding to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights.(5) What is the estimated cost to your department of producing compatibility statements, over the period January 2012 to present.(6) What is the estimated annual cost of producing human rights compatibility statements.(7) On how many occasions has the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights sought a response from your department about the human rights compatibility statements prepared by your department.(8) On how many occasions has this resulted in changes to the legislation presented by your department, and can details be provided of any changes that have been made.Mr Frydenberg: The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:
(1) Human rights compatibility statements (HRCS) are prepared by the Treasury to accompany Bills and Legislative Instruments that are introduced into Parliament by Treasury portfolio Ministers.
Within the Treasury, the Law Design Office (LDO) develops the HRCS as part of an integrated process that involves various teams of officers, depending on the nature of the legislation being developed. There are around 70 officers in the LDO. LDO officers develop policy into law, manage the Treasury's legislative program and assist with government and parliamentary processes and requirements.
(2) The Treasury estimates that over 500 HRCS have been issued since 4 January 2012. All HRCS issued by the Treasury are available on the Federal Register of Legislation.
For HRCS accompanying Treasury Bills, please see: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Browse/ByYearNumber/Bills/Asmade/0/0/.
For HRCS accompanying Treasury disallowable legislative instruments, please see https://www.legislation.gov.au/Browse/ByRegDate/LegislativeInstruments/Asmade/0/0/All/.
(3) LDO staff range from APS4 to SESB2. For salary ranges for those levels, please see the Treasury's 2018-2019 Annual Report at https://treasury.gov.au/publication/p2019-25128.
(4) While the preparation of a precise response to this question would cause an unreasonable diversion of the Treasury's resources, it may be of assistance to note that, in general, for legislation that does not engage any human rights issues, it may take approximately an hour to draft a HRCS which is then progressed through the relevant Treasury processes. However, where a Bill or an instrument engages one or more human rights this may require many more hours of drafting and revisions within Treasury before progressing through the relevant Treasury clearance processes. In addition, assessing whether the Bill or instrument is compatible with human rights is continually considered throughout the legislative process.
For information on the process within the Treasury's LDO, please see Question 1.
(5) and (6) Preparing the estimated costings of the department producing compatibility statements, over the period January 2012 to present would require an unnecessary diversion of departmental resources as time that is spent is not tracked. For information on the process within the Treasury's LDO, please see Question 1.
(7) Since 2012, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has sought a response on approximately 82 legislative instruments from Treasury portfolio Ministers.
(8) I am not aware of any legislation that has been amended as a result of a Report by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights in my portfolio.