Labor launches website showing local damage if JobKeeper goes

Scott Morrison has accused Labor of ‘disgraceful fear mongering’ over JobKeeper’s phasing out.

Anthony Albanese speaks during a press conference at Bankstown RSL in Sydney on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Scott Morrison has accused Labor of “disgraceful fear mongering” over JobKeeper’s phasing out, as Anthony Albanese launched an ALP website that shows how many jobs could be lost suburb-by-suburb if wage subsidies are not continued in September.

Labor’s Don’t Cancel JobKeeper website estimates how many jobs, businesses, and revenue will be lost, based on Treasury modelling and estimates.

Amid calls for Victorian businesses to receive greater support because of fresh shutdowns, the Prime Minister reiterated in Canberra there would be a second phase of targeted income support and said Labor’s Don’t Cancel JobKeeker digital tool was “disgraceful”.

“The details of our decisions will be set out at the time of ­releasing the economic statement, as I have been saying for some weeks and there is no change to that timetable,” he said.

“I do note, regrettably, that the Labor Party has engaged in fear mongering during a pandemic. I think this is disgraceful. They are saying things that are blatantly untrue. I have made it very clear that there would be a further stage of income support and to make people feel more uncertain in this climate, I think it is disgraceful. I think it reflects badly on their leadership.”

Mr Albanese said the government’s review of JobKeeper — due to be unveiled on July 23 — must be released now and the COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria meant the current support should continue.

“You can’t pretend that it’s all OK, because it’s not. The health impact we are seeing in Victoria has spiked in recent times. That continues to have an economic impact as well,” he said.

“What we need to do is have a transition and a strategy for jobs, a strategy to maintain jobs that the government also has to be clearer about what its plan is for economic growth and jobs into the future.”

Josh Frydenberg said the ­extension of JobKeeper would be applied on a consistent basis ­nationally. “Our focus to date has been on the national ­approach as opposed to state-specific programs. But we’re certainly going to be factoring in recent developments in Victoria into our thinking and into our decisions,” the Treasurer told the ABC.