CORONAVIRUS – Job Keeper Payments

Wednesday, 8 April 2020                                                           HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY                                          Page 785 

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Frome) (14:57): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier advise regarding a person who has been working in a particular industry for over 21/2 years and continues to be there and the only change is a change of ownership of that same industry. With your leave, Mr Speaker, and that of the house, I will further explain. 

Leave granted 

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: People working in a facility at Crystal Brook have been working in excess of two to three years. During this time, the only change is that a new owner has taken over that industry in the last eight months. These people who are working in that industry, the previous owner and the current owner have been advised they don’t qualify for any JobSeeker— 

Mr Bell: JobKeeper. 

The Hon. G.G. BROCK: Sorry, JobKeeper. 

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:58): The member is right: they would qualify for the JobSeeker but potentially not the JobKeeper. I am happy to take up that specific issue, but they would also have to satisfy the requirement, as everybody needs to, that they have to be able to demonstrate that the business was affected by more than 30 per cent since the coronavirus came into play. 

As I have stated on many occasions, this is not going to satisfy every business or every scenario. I don’t think there is a person in Australia who isn’t affected by this, really, and the vast majority affected adversely. This JobKeeper, to the best of my knowledge, is only available for businesses that turn over less than $1 billion if there has been a 30 per cent reduction. If they are over $1 billion, it has to be a 50 per cent reduction. My office can take those details and I will be happy to follow that up for the member.