MORRISON IS ENDING JOBKEEPER AND ENDING THOUSANDS OF LIVELIHOODS

26 March 2021

STEPHEN JONES MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER

SHADOW MINISTER FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND SUPERANNUATION

MEMBER FOR WHITLAM

 

HON SHARON BIRD

MEMBER FOR CUNNINGHAM

 

Scott Morrison has turned out the lights at thousands of small business owners and taken an axe to thousands of workers’ livelihoods by ending Job Keeper.

He wouldn’t listen to warnings from economists, business leaders, unions and his own public servants that 200,000 people will hit the job queue all at once.

Instead, his Government has declared “mission accomplished” on recovering from the worst recession in nearly a century.

That’s despite bungling the vaccine roll out and with COVID numbers rising among Australia’s near neighbours.

The Government’s only plan for the Illawarra is an airfare subsidy that will divert potential tourists to Queensland and Western Australia, leaving struggling local businesses even further behind.

Businesses like Leisure Coast Limousines are on the brink, facing closure and forcing 24 drivers into unemployment despite a 30-year-history of driving through economic ups and downs.

Travel agents like Rosemary Green can only watch as tourist pack their bags for Cairns and Broome instead of making tracks for the Illawarra and its magnificent tourism offerings.

It’s just not good enough.