The Wage Subsidy

Last week we heard from the voices of workers and refugees trying to keep their head above water during the covid-19 pandemic. Over the past week the Federal Government has put to parliament the $130 billion package of public funds to keep 6 million people technically at work during the pandemic. There are lots of things going on in regards this wage subsidy and workers rights which may make sense during an epidemic but may set a trend which after six months is up may seem problematic for workers.  In this program we take some time to talk with Alison Pennington, senior economist with the Centre for Future Work about what the covid-19 epidemic, workers and the governments response. We were talking a day before the Parliament sat to pass the LNP’s rules based plan but Alison’s analysis is uncanny in its perception.