OLIVER PETERSON: Let’s bring in the Employment Minister Michaelia Cash. Good afternoon.

MINISTER CASH: Good afternoon Oli, and good afternoon to your great WA listeners.

OLIVER PETERSON: As the Prime Minister said today, it is a tough day for Australia. Were you expecting these figures to be as bad as they are?

MINISTER CASH: We were, Oli. Look, we saw the unemployment rate rise to 6.2 per cent. But as we know, the figures are not surprising given the impact of COVID-19 - but also, the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions and the fact that some businesses have had to close. But we can't forget the people who have lost their jobs, they’re our fellow Australians. You know, in Western Australia, they’re our fellow Western Australians. And we need to do everything that we can collectively to get our economy reopened in a safe way and get them back into work.

OLIVER PETERSON: We’ve obviously now got as well millions of Australians receiving JobKeeper and JobSeeker benefits. For those who are on the JobKeeper program at the moment, they’re not included in these statistics, are they, Minister?

MINISTER CASH: No, no. They’re not, Oli. So, the JobKeeper program, as you know, it is a $1500 before tax payment that pays the employee for a two week period. It is paid by the employer, basically as part of their wage – or their wage, depending on what they earn. And it’s paid through the ATO. There’s a fundamental difference obviously between that and the JobSeeker payment. This is all about connecting people with their employer. And I’m really pleased that the Prime Minister announced today that there are now six million Australians who are covered by the JobKeeper program, and that sends a really good signal to people that these employers, they want to maintain that connection, and when those restrictions lift and they're back in business, you will get back to work.

OLIVER PETERSON: So, we have 2.7 million Australians, or one in five workers now either out of work or on reduced hours. The forecast from Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is by the time we hit stage 3, 853,000 Australians will be back to work. But can you see these figures now – the unemployment figures in Australia – actually continuing to grow, Minister? Will they reach any higher than what they are at the moment?

MINISTER CASH: Yes, that’s a good question. So look, Treasury modelling does forecast that unemployment will peak at around 10 per cent. And today, unsurprisingly, the level of employment fell by almost 600,000. But again, that was anticipated because of the nature of the COVID-19 restrictions. What we now need to do is- always subject to the health advice, we know that, but put into place that three-stage road to recovery, and give people as much opportunity as possible to move back into the workforce. That is our focus as a government now. 

And look, you know I'm a Liberal Senator for Western Australia. But I'm really pleased that Western Australia, we're almost fronting the pack in terms of the easing of our COVID restrictions. And certainly, you know, that's been really welcomed in particular by those smaller businesses, which previously were not able to have restaurants and cafes- people in them, but as of Monday we're moving to 20 people, subject to the COVID-safe way of working. But that has really, really given people a big psychological boost. And that’s a good thing.

OLIVER PETERSON: It is a good thing. The CCI’s just released the underemployment rate being now at its highest point ever recorded, 14.6 per cent, and almost 58,000 Western Australians actually left the search for work altogether. They abandoned their opportunities to try and even get a job. So, there’s obviously so many people this afternoon, Minister, as we already know, either unemployed, underemployed, or just thinking: I won’t be able to get a job.

MINISTER CASH: And look- and again, that is not unsurprising. And in relation to the underemployed, a lot of people have not been in a position to actually go out and look for work. Why? Because their business was actually closed down, or alternatively they had to stay home with their kids because, as you know, schools closed. But again, the figure’s not unexpected. What I would say though is we went into the COVID-19 pandemic in a good place though. We actually had in March, record employment in Australia of 13 million Australians. We had record number of Australians in full time employment. So whilst that does not soften the blow today, it does give us a bit of comfort that the labour market was in a strong position. The Government has responded, $320 billion in terms of support measured. And as the Prime Minister, you know, he said in his press conference today - to every Australian out there, to every business who has been impacted by COVID-19, rest assured, we have your back.

And I can assure you, Oli, you know, everybody over here, obviously the Parliament's sitting at the moment, we will work 24/7 to get Australia back open and back in business.

OLIVER PETERSON: The Prime Minister also said today tweaks will be coming to the JobKeeper program in June for those six million Australians currently receiving the JobKeeper program. What would your message be to them this afternoon?

MINISTER CASH: Thank-you for maintaining that connection with your employment. As the Prime Minister has said, we have legislated the JobKeeper payment. It formally ends in September. We have no plans to wind it back. The Prime Minister also said though, it was always going to be subject to a review in June. That was always going to be. Measured and scalable have always been our measures, but to those six million employees, thank you for hanging in there. Thank you for maintaining that connection with your employer. To the employers out there, who- you know, have been able to access JobKeeper: thank you, thank you, thank you. We will do everything that we can to get you back into business.

OLIVER PETERSON: Michaelia Cash, appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

MINISTER CASH: Great to be with you, Oli.

OLIVER PETERSON: That’s the Employment Minister, Michaelia Cash.

ENDS