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Treasurer Josh Frydenberg rejects Labor’s bid to legislate Jobkeeper amendments

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Photo: ABC

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Photo: ABC Photo: ABC

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg believes the changes Labor wants to the JobKeeper wage subsidy extension bill will cost jobs.

Labor says under the JobKeeper plan, an employee in a recovering business could receive less than someone with a business that is still struggling to reopen.

But Mr Frydenberg argues a recovering business is still a distressed business.

“They can’t keep all of their employees fully employed because their doors are not necessarily fully open,” the Treasurer told the Sky News Sunday Agenda program.

“If we were to force those businesses to keep their staff working at 100 per cent of hours then ultimately that would cost jobs.”

Asked if he would support Labor’s amendments, Mr Frydenberg said: “No, we won’t.”

The JobKeeper payment will be lowered from a fortnightly benefit of $1500 to $1200 at the end of September, and then down to $1000 from December to March.

Federal parliament has to pass both JobKeeper and the enhanced JobSeeker dole payment this week because the existing arrangements run out next month.

After this week, parliament won’t sit again until the October 6 budget.

The JobSeeker unemployment benefit has temporarily been doubled to a maximum $1100 per fortnight through to September, but then will be reduced $800 until the end of the year.

-AAP

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