Federal government coronavirus support packages are not reaching enough workers in distress, according to Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters.
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Ms Chesters said many people and businesses who had seen their work reduced or stopped during the pandemic had burned through their savings and cash reserves.
She slammed federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg for threatening to cut off federal government support if states didn't follow the national plan to re-opening the country.
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"I am condemning threats Josh Frydenberg has made and I'm here saying 'what federal government assistance?'," she said.
"Since JobKeeper ended in March, not one worker in Bendigo has received any support from the federal government."
Mr Frydenberg this week urged business leaders to join the government's push to open state borders and reduce lockdowns when vaccination coverage reaches 70 and 80 per cent.
He said state and territory governments would not receive the same levels of lockdown support when the thresholds were met.
"You could have the ridiculous situation where somebody in New South Wales could travel to Canada before they could go to Cairns," he told the Seven Network.
"Somebody in Victoria could travel to Singapore and Bali before they could go to Perth."
Ms Chesters said federal government support relied on the Commonwealth-declared areas a COVID-hotspot, making it difficult for all pandemic-affected workers to receive support.
"Bendigo has not been declared a hotspot, so the federal government hasn't paid a cent to any worker that has been stood down," she said.
"We have had the state government step in and pick up the tab for a few workers, but we stand here today - in another lockdown - with some casual workers having gone without pay or hours for eight to 10 weeks.
"This week they qualify for state government COVID-19 payments but not federal government payments. So when treasurer is throwing around these threats, I'm kind of thinking 'thanks for nothing'.
"Maybe when you start contributing towards casuals and helping workers and businesses, we will take your threats seriously."
Ms Chester said with the pandemic stretching over almost two years, many workers and businesses had no savings left.
"Last year people had access to JobKeeper and were working through what savings they had," she said.
"But a second year in, the in-and-out effects of lockdowns is having an impact on people's financial situation.
"It is really tough. We know we are in and out of lockdowns because of health reasons but given that reality, we need the federal government to be more generous in their support."
Ms Chesters said a number of her constituents had been in touch to speak about how they were struggling.
"Quite a few people are distressed because they are down to their last dollar," she said.
Ms Chester said the federal government should push companies that made strong profits in 2020 while receiving JobKeeper, to pay back the government support.
"We know the money is there to bring back JobKeeper if the federal government target billionaires who earned billions last year and still kept JobKeeper," she said.
"There is money there if same rule was applied to big businesses and CEOs as they do to other workers who may have received an overpayment.
"It was great to see Gerry Harvey has paid back JobKeeper. We need more companies to do that so we have the money to extend a JobKeeper-style program into this year."
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