15th Jun 2021, 4:26 PM – Senate Motions - Jobkeeper Payment - Repay excess funds

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by Tasmanian Senator Nick McKim (Greens), which means it passed. Motions like these don't make any actual changes on their own, but are politically influential because they represent the will of the Senate.

Queensland Senator Gerard Rennick (Liberal) rebelled against the rest of his party and voted "Yes" against the rest of his party (who voted No).

Motion text

(1) That the Senate—

(a) notes that the 2020-21 Budget delivered the JobKeeper wage subsidy, which saw over $1 billion in JobKeeper payments paid to companies that made a profit or paid executive bonuses; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to require companies with an annual turnover of more than $50 million that received JobKeeper payments, and in the last 12 months did one or more of the following:

(i) issued dividends,

(ii) made a profit, or

(iii) paid executive bonuses;

to repay the Commonwealth an amount equal to the amount of JobKeeper payments they received, up to the sum of profits made and executive bonuses paid.

(2) That this resolution be sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence.