Melbourne lord mayor calls for return of JobKeeper

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp has called for JobKeeper to return and remain in place until Australia “officially opens again” to support businesses throughout the ongoing “unpredictability” of the pandemic. “As the lord mayor of Melbourne, I am calling for more support and certainty for businesses, particularly small businesses, as the unpredictability of this pandemic continues,” she said. “We are asking for JobKeeper to come back, for it to remain in place until Australia officially opens again. “We’re asking our federal and state politicians to recognise that this is the toughest trading conditions that many businesses have experienced. “It’s important that during lockdowns they receive support, but lockdowns also have lags ... and for many businesses, even as cities reopen, they still struggle to return to normal revenue levels. “We feel it’s the right thing to do, it’s a generous thing to do, and ultimately it will be a cheaper thing to do for Australia to sustain businesses during this time rather than to have to start again when we’re back up and running.”