Prime Minister Scott Morrison says JobKeeper support will always be a national program

As coronavirus spreads across Australia, the Prime Minister has flagged JobKeeper support for struggling businesses will be extended.

JobKeeper will be extended for businesses shutdown in the wake of the Melbourne lockdowns but the second phase of the scheme will remain “national, not local”.

The Prime Minister provided no details today but confirmed any changes to the JobKeeper wage subsidies will not be based on geography.

The September deadline for JobKeeper payments worth $1500 for every eligible employee is now likely to be extended as Victoria is hit by a second wave of cases.

The Morrison Government is currently considering a Treasury report into next steps for the $1500 a fortnight jobs subsidy that was finalised before the latest spike of cases in Melbourne.

“We’re running a national program of support. That national program of support will give people in the same areas of need the same support. So it’s not a state-based program or anything like that,” the Prime Minister said.

“In the same way it is operated up until now, it’s something that has operated nationally and something that has been directed towards businesses that have had that fall-off in turnover and to their employees and similarly JobSeeker is applied across the nation.

“These programs act very much as automatic stabilisers in these circumstances and that’s the design element that will continue.”

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has addressed JobKeeper. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Taylor

The Prime Minister has previously flagged ongoing support for companies including Qantas.

“I have been consistent in saying that there‘ll be a further phase of support that goes beyond September. So there’s been - and there will be. And I said that to the Victorian Premier and as I said to Alan Joyce,’’ he said.

“There will be a further phase of how we continue to provide support and as I was able to assure the Premier the other night, just like I can assure people in - in industries or in businesses or parts of the country that are more affected by COVID than others, then where there is the need, then there will continue to be support. And so this is about tailoring a national program to provide support where the support is needed and because of what has happened in Victoria, obviously the need there will be far greater than was previously and that need will be met.”

Earlier, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews said he was confident in his private discussions with the Prime Minister and Treasurer that struggling businesses hit by a second lockdown will not be left behind.

“I‘ve had a conversation with the Prime Minister. had a conversation today with the Federal Treasurer. I note he’s made a number of comments that I think all Victorians would be very reassured by, that hardship and real need is going to continue to drive the Federal Government’s policy response, just as it always has driven ours and will continue to,’’ he said.

“Clearly there‘s going to be greater needs in some parts of Victoria than there will be in other parts of our nation. And I’m reassured that hardship is going to continue to be the main thing that drives all the different tools the Federal Government is using, just as it always has, just as it has for us also. I’ll leave announcements - that’s rightly the provenance of the Federal Government, but I am reassured that there will be further announcements made and hardship will continue to be - so need will continue to be what drives them, and drives us, and clearly there’s going to be more need in some parts of our state than there will be in other parts of our nation.”

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has received help from the federal government. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Ian Currie

The Prime Minister insisted that his position on border closures had not changed despite his support for NSW’s decision to “isolate” from Victoria.

“My position on borders hasn‘t changed. We need to understand what’s happened here in Victoria,’’ he said.

“What we have effectively done is Victoria has self-isolated. So that creates a protection for all the other states and territories at the one time and it doesn‘t leave it to the arbitrary decision of one premier or another premier. I mean, my view about people moving from New South Wales to Queensland or to South Australia or Western Australia has not changed. When you have a situation of an outbreak, you contain the outbreak.”