Thousands of retail jobs at risk by Morrison's scheduled Christmas JobSeeker snapback

Linda Burney on ABC Weekend Breakfast - Saturday, 15 August 2020

KATH ROBINSON: We're joined by Darren Chester, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel, and we're also joined by Labor MP Linda Burney, who is the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians. Welcome to you both.

LINDA BURNEY: Thank you and good morning Darren, how are you?

DARREN CHESTER: It's lovely in Sale today Linda. And unfortunately I won't see it next sitting week, but I'm here for the duration.

ROBINSON: Well we look forward to the birds chirping as they were last time we checked in with you Darren. If we can begin with you, you're in regional Victoria there. The numbers have just come in on the COVID cases in Victoria: 302 new cases, and very sadly 4 more deaths. There is concern around the regions, particularly Ballarat, Bendigo. I know you are on the other side of that. But what needs to be done for your constituents, for regional constituents, with respect to COVID-19, and what sort of support do they need? Because there are talks of regional Victoria going into further lock-down, which has come up against a little bit of push-back.

CHESTER: Well first of all can I just say that every death is an absolute tragedy. As we hear these numbers every day it’s tempting to think of it like a toll, like it's something we have to pay every day. And that's not the case. We can beat this virus. We've got to keep working together as a nation, as states, as regions, as small towns, like here in Sale where I am today. And we've got to keep doing the right thing ourselves. I mean, we're all wearing masks down here, but the 100 per cent use of masks in regional Victoria right now I think is very, very positive. We're working, in terms of Stage 3 restrictions. We've still got some business activity, with take-away food available to people, take-away coffees, that type of think. But we need to work together to make sure we're protecting people's lives and people's livelihoods. 

Obviously we've been lucky in regional Victoria so far. We've had lower case numbers, but some of that luck has been because of hard work as well. People have done the right thing and tried to make sure they're social distancing, done the hand hygiene things. All the things we've been asked to do, regional Victorians have been trying very hard to comply with those rules and so far they've been quite fortunate in that regard. But our bigger regional centres obviously are a bigger risk. Were there's more population, there's more risk. So we need to keep working together to try and overcome this virus. 

FAUZIAH IBRAHIM: I want to try and pick up on that point of protecting livelihoods and protecting lives as well. Part of protecting livelihoods of course is the JobKeeper-JobSeeker scheme that's been ongoing since the pandemic start. Linda Burney, if I could get your reaction here, the Government has indicated a scaling back of the JobKeeper scheme at some point. At this stage, no mention of the JobSeeker scheme being scaled back as yet, it will however be dropping down to about $800 a fortnight in September. You are however warning that more jobs will be lost if JobSeeker is scaled back even further to pre-pandemic times.

BURNEY: The estimation that we have is something like 150,000 retail jobs potentially could be lost right across Australia. And Labor has been calling consistently for a permanent increase to JobSeeker. And the idea of the Government snapping back just before Christmas is something completely unacceptable to Labor and I think places an enormous strain on people that are currently relying on JobSeeker to put food on the table. The amount we haven't nominated. The Government consistently refuses to show us the modelling though Katy Gallagher's Coronavirus Committee of what that increase might be permanently. But clearly there needs to be a permanent increase to JobSeeker. $40 a day is impossible to live on.

ROBINSON: Darren, is this something that you would support? A permanent increase?

CHESTER: Well it's important to recognise that the delayed Budget will be released in October and you will see the full economic statement then from the Treasurer, the Finance Minister. As a Government we have done all of the heavy lifting when it comes to the economic recovery from the Coronavirus and support measures being put in place. Literally hundreds of billions of dollars of Commonwealth funding through JobKeeper and increasing the JobSeeker Coronavirus Supplement, to help people out. Because we recognise that they've got bills to pay. People's financial security is so important at this time and if we can work as a Government to reduce some of that stress, it's going to improve their mental health, obviously. 

But in terms of the actual final number of JobSeeker, that will be a matter for the Budget process as the Prime Minister and Treasurer have indicated. But I would say again, the Federal Government has done an enormous amount of the heavy lifting when it comes to the economic supports. The states needs to get on board as well now, as we plan for the jobs we're going to need as we come out the other side of this pandemic.

IBRAHIM: We want to move on to another issue that's really been making headlines this week. Of course we are talking about the Aged Care Royal Commission. Linda Burney, you know, what's come out of the Commission is an indication that the Government didn't have any plan going into the pandemic for the aged care sector. There are now calls for a national body focused on the aged care sector, in particular to advise the Government. Is this something that you would support?

BURNEY: Labor is very much calling for a national coordinated approach to aged care. It is just an outrage really, and I'm afraid Scott Morrison's apology is not going to cut it in relation to so many people that have died in the aged care sector. The Royal Commission was something that Labor called for long before it was actually announced by the Government. The fact that the Government is responsible for aged care, and clearly had no plan going into the pandemic is just inconceivable. And we just look at the devastation in the aged care, in the aged care sector. And I think that Julie Collins has done a brilliant job in highlighting what some of the issues are, and in particular our call for a national coordinating body. Which I note the Prime Minister is rejecting.

ROBINSON: Darren, just on that. On the apology first of all. The Prime Minister apologised for falling short in the aged care sector, but he defended Government's response, and rejected the claims that there were, the assertions by the Royal Commission, Counsel Assisting Rozen, saying that there was no aged care plan to deal with the pandemic. He said yesterday that there has been a plan and it has been updated. But the sector has over 1,000 infections of resident, almost 200 deaths in aged care. Is that plan good enough?

CHESTER: Well I've got to say that as a Victorian, I feel somewhat embarrassed and disappointed that we've let the team down. I mean 7 out of 8 states are in a very good position in terms of trying to manage the pandemic and keeping it out of aged care. What we saw in Victoria, tragically for us, is the pandemic, the virus got out into the community, it escaped from the quarantine facilities. The hotel quarantine. And once it got out into the community, we had enormous problems in our aged care sector. So the Federal Government has been working with the State Government is that regard here in Victoria. There's 450 extra staff being provided. In total an additional $850 million for pandemic related aged care activities. 

So while I accept and I feel terrible, sick in the guts that we've lost so many people in aged care. We need to understand that once it gets out into the community it becomes very difficult. And that's where I think we have let ourselves down as Victorians and I want to keep working with the Federal Government, working with the other states to make sure we get on top of this. It's not about apportioning blame or seeking to criticise anyone. The simple facts are; once it gets out in the community, we have that community transmission, those vulnerable people in aged care are very hard to protect. 

IBRAHIM: But the fact is that a lot of people are now calling for the aged care sector to be elevated from the Outer Ministry to Cabinet. After all, a portfolio that you hold, Veterans' Affairs, is in Cabinet. Is this something that you would support?

CHESTER: Look I don't mind where it sits in terms of the ministries. But I do agree with, I think the premise of your point, is that aged care is so important. And I think this, the challenge out of the Royal Commission, the challenge out of the pandemic, and then looking to the future is how we work together in terms of aged care. I mean the not-for-profit sector, the for-profit sector, all very difficult aspects of the aged care industry. And we need to make sure it's not an industry, we're caring for people's loved ones. And we need to make sure that we're providing the right amount of care for them when they need it. So, I think Linda and I are probably on a unity ticket there when it comes to, let's see the findings from the Royal Commission, and lets work together as a Parliament to try and fix this system once and for all.

ROBINSON: All right Darren. We'll get both of your ideas on this. But Darren we will begin with you as Minister for Veterans' Affairs. It's the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two today. A big day for someone with your portfolio. What's planned for you and across the country? Well again, it's a strange day during a pandemic where we can't gather in large numbers in most parts of Australia. But the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two is in many way a commemoration and a respectful acknowledgement of all those who served. The 39,000 Australians who died and about one million who served. But also it's tinged with a bit of celebration as well, because this is the day the war ended 75 years ago. Enormous relief for the community. And then people could get on and build the great nation we have today. So for me it's about saying; 'thank you for your service'. It's about remembering those who did so much for our country. And we are so fortunate in Australia today to still have 12,000 of those veterans with us. So we want to make them feel very special today with the national service in Canberra, which starts at 10 o'clock this morning. 

IBRAHIM: Some of those veterans of course are Indigenous people who had enlisted to fight in the war. Linda what are your thoughts on this day today?

BURNEY: Well I completely endorse the sentiments that Darren's just verbalised. And I do particularly think about today being VP Day. Victory in the Pacific, and therefore the end of World War Two. I was raised by my great aunt and uncle, and they were very much shaped by the Depression and World War Two. They were frugal, they were careful and that's the way they raised me. And of course what's been wonderful in recent times is the recognition of the contribution of Indigenous people in World War Two. Didn't have citizenship, but went off to fight for Australia. But it also represented, I think, multicultural Australia becoming a reality in Australia, which was a very good thing. 

And of course there is much we can learn from Chiffley's post-war reconstruction for what Australia is going through today. But I just want to finish by saying that the only whole-Indigenous troupe was on Horne Island, which of course was bombed 500 times by the Japanese up in the Torres Strait and we remember those people particularly today.

ROBINSON: We do indeed. Linda Burney and Darren Chester. Many thanks for joining us today.

LINDA BURNEY

TRANSCRIPT - SATURDAY, 15 AUGUST 2020