Wednesday, 18 March 2020

COVID-19

Ms STALEY (Ripon) (11:08): My question is to the Treasurer. New South Wales has announced a $2.3 billion stimulus package that includes payroll tax relief; Queensland a package that includes six months payroll tax relief; WA a $607 million stimulus package; South Australia a $350 million package; and even Tasmania a $420 million package. Yesterday the Treasurer said he was monitoring the effects of COVID-19 on jobs and the economy of Victoria. How many businesses need to close their doors and how many workers need to lose their jobs before the Treasurer stops monitoring and starts acting?

Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:09): I thank the member for Ripon for her question, and I make it clear that this government is doing a heck of a lot more than just monitoring the situation.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PALLAS: We are actively involved in decisions at a national level, represented of course by our Premier. We are constantly talking to the federal government through the federal Treasurer, and all other treasurers are making decisions about how we can best manage the situation—as opposed to those opposite, who think that the idea of bipartisanship is entirely something you dispense with at a time of national crisis. This government will not turn its back on its obligations to work in lockstep with all other jurisdictions. Certainly we have heard some in this place call for budget austerity together with a stimulus package. That is nothing short of ridiculous. I want to remind this Parliament of the decision of COAG in its bipartisan statement of last week:

All Australian governments will play their part in delivering complementary, targeted and proportionate responses to the economic impacts of coronavirus. Leaders noted presentations from the Governor of the Reserve Bank and the Secretary of the Australian Treasury, and accepted advice that current fiscal settings in jurisdictions should be adjusted to mitigate the economic impact on Australians and best position the nation for recovery.

We will have more to say about what we are doing to support Victorian businesses. We are having discussions with the business community, which are ongoing and well advanced, about what assistance would be most beneficial at an appropriate point—not in order to respond to what seems to be base political opportunism by those opposite.

Ms STALEY (Ripon) (11:11): On 12 February on 3AW, to Neil Mitchell the Treasurer said:

I’m looking at every line item of expenditure and I’m looking to take something like $4 billion out of government expenditure …

With the government looking for $4 billion of budget cuts, why shouldn’t Victorians believe that the reason the government has not announced a stimulus package is because it has just run out of money?

Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (11:11): Can I assure the member for Ripon, and can I also assure this Parliament, that this government will resource the recovery effort. We have substantial resources available to us, and we will apply those resources. We will definitely ensure that we will make sure that business is adequately—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Treasurer to resume his seat. I warned members at the beginning of question time yesterday about shouting across the chamber, particularly members at the table and on the front benches. I just ask members to allow the Treasurer to answer the question.

Mr PALLAS: This is about making sure that Victorians are well protected. We are not talking, as we have said responsibly, about stimulus, we are talking essentially about survival—business survival and survival of the welfare, the wellbeing of Victorians. This is a war effort, and you need to determine whether or not you want to take political advantage or to recognise that we have a risk to this community never seen before in this nation’s history. We will be adopting an approach that we see as being appropriate.