JIM CHALMERS MP
SHADOW TREASURER
MEMBER FOR RANKIN

LINDA BURNEY MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
MEMBER FOR BARTON

SENATOR MURRAY WATT
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
LABOR SENATOR FOR QUEENSLAND

MILLIONS ON COVID SUPPORT CAUGHT IN PM’S CROSSFIRE

As lengthy lockdowns continue across large parts of the country, the Morrison-Joyce Government has announced that they are ripping away support from millions of Australians.

Nobody expects this support to go on forever but let’s not forget – these are Scott Morrison’s lockdowns.

Instead of picking fights with the states and punishing Australians for his own mistakes, Scott Morrison should be working with Premiers and Chief Ministers, particularly when the National Plan confirms some restrictions which will impact the economy will remain in place even after 80% of the population is vaccinated.

If only the Liberals and Nationals were as quick to roll out vaccines and build fit-for-purpose quarantine as they’ve been to cut support.

Instead, they are forcing Australians who have done the right thing to, yet again, pay the price for Morrison’s mistakes.

It was just a few months ago that Treasury confirmed that the Morrison Government’s decision to cut JobKeeper in March cost around 56,000 Australians their jobs.

Australians can’t afford for Morrison and Frydenberg to make the same mistake twice by cutting help too quickly.

Labor has said all along that support should be tailored to the economic conditions.

In the last two months alone, 200,000 Australians have been pushed out of the jobs market. Conditions are far tougher than the Government admits.

Despite their big announcements it’s always the same with the Morrison Government – help that is too little, too late, and torn away too soon.

We all want to see Australia reopened, but picking fights with the states, and leaving millions of Australians caught in the crossfire, is not the right way to go about it.

WEDNESDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 2021