Josh Frydenberg: Now is time for Victorians to be given their freedom back
Through not fault of their own, Victorians were sent into a second lockdown because of the failures of hotel quarantine. And in that time many have battled with their mental health as well as the economic impact. So now, more than ever, is the time to put an end to these harsh restrictions, writes Josh Frydenberg.
Opinion
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Over recent months Daniel Andrews has said Victorians can be ‘very reassured’ by the way the Federal Government is responding to the economic challenges created by COVID-19 and they can.
I, like so many other Victorians, be they in the health, legal, business or broader community, will not be silenced nor stand by as our fellow Victorians lose their liberties and have their economic livelihoods damaged.
We are from Victoria and we are for Victoria.
The second wave, which has had such devastating consequences for Victoria, started with failures in hotel quarantine for which no one in the Victorian Government has taken responsibility.
The second wave, which led to the lockdown, has taken an extreme toll on the mental health of Victorians and their economic prospects.
Now is time for the Victorian Government to give Victorians their freedom back and allow businesses to reopen in a COVID-safe way.
The jobs numbers from earlier this week showed Victoria’s effective unemployment at 14 per cent, compared to 7.5 per cent in New South Wales and a national average of 9.4 per cent.
Over the last two months, 127,000 Victorians have become effectively unemployed, taking the total in Victoria to more than 500,000.
Victorians comprised 26 per cent of Australia’s population, but now make up 40 per cent of Australia’s effectively unemployed.
It is now time to get Victorians back into jobs and back into work in a COVIDsafe way.
The Morrison Government will continue to support Victorians through this crisis with more than $31 billion already delivered to Victorian families and businesses since March.
With more Victorians expected to be on JobKeeper in the December and March quarters than from all the other states and territories combined, the Federal Government will continue to support Victorians get to the other side of this crisis.
Josh Frydenberg is the Federal Treasurer and Member for Kooyong