Scott Morrison rules out changes to $4bn wage subsidy

The Prime Minister says he sees no reason to amend the scheme and questioned why Anthony Albanese wants ‘to oppose getting young people into work’.

Scott Morrison, right, rides in a new Australian Boxer CRV at the official opening of the Rheinmetall Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Redbank, Queensland, on Sunday. Picture: Sarah Marshall

Scott Morrison says he will not consider changes to his $4bn wage subsidy scheme to secure its passage through parliament, as Labor criticises the structure of the program.

The Prime Minister said he saw no reason to amend the scheme and questioned why Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese would “want to oppose getting young people into work”.

“If the Labor Party wants to oppose young people going into work well I’ll let them explain that. And I think the Australian people will make their own judgment on them,” Mr Morrison said.

“I’m not aware that’s their position. I’m not aware of many of their positions, to be honest.

“There was an opportunity this week for the leader of the Opposition to put aside once and for all their plan for higher taxes. They took them to the last election and they’re still standing by all of them. It’s hard to know what their positions are.”

Opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said the government’s scheme, which is limited to workers up to the age of 35, leaves “928,000 Australians who are currently on unemployment benefits in the lurch”.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese in Adelaide on Sunday. Picture: Roy Van Der Vegt

“That is a substantial concern when you consider the challenge that we’ve got. Recessions are notorious for leaving younger workers, but also older workers, out in the cold for too long. We do have fears about long-term unemployment,” Dr Chalmers told Sky News on Sunday.

“The issue we’ve got is the people left behind and left out of that policy.

“We’ll go through all the detail. There’s a Senate committee to do that. We’ll see how the government responds to the concerns we’ve raised about possible rorting, possible churning of workers and all of those unintended consequences.

Opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers. Picture: Getty Images

“They don’t have a good record of implementing wage subsidies. We need to keep up with our questions and try to understand what the government’s doing here.”

Under the government’s JobMaker Hiring Credit, announced in the budget, employers will receive $200 a week if they hire someone aged 16 to 29, and $100 a week if they take on an eligible employee aged 30 to 35 years.

Eligible employees will be required to work a minimum of 20 hours a week, and must have received the JobSeeker, Youth Allowance or parenting payment for at least one of the previous three months.

Dr Chalmers said the government’s Restart program for over 50s workers, implemented in 2014, was undersubscribed by “something like 95 per cent”.

“That program is not working for older Australian workers,” he said.

Mr Morrison said 50,000 people had “got themselves into a job” because of the Restart program.

“I am very pleased of the progress of that program. There are thousands of people right now who are actually taking advantage of that program as we speak,” Mr Morrison said.

“And that is in addition to the adult apprentices scheme. That is about a $4000 subsidy that supports adult apprentices changing their skills mid career. And that increasingly occurs.

“There will be many, as a result of the COVID-19 recession, who will look at their skills and look at where they are.

“There are so many programs that support Australians who are looking to change and train up on their skills.”