Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to make two very simple but important points in endorsing the Social Security and Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (2009 Budget Measures) Bill 2009 in this place. The first, and it is in line with the previous speaker’s comments, is about the importance and worth of carers in all regions—and the one I represent, of course, is on the mid-North Coast—and within Australia. If carers were removed from the system altogether within this country, in my view Australia would collapse. Similarly, on the mid-North Coast, if all carers were removed from their role in keeping our community together then, likewise, communities there would collapse. In my view they are the glue that keeps our communities together and keeps them strong. Their role has been for too long undervalued, and I think it is a significant step to see this $600 payment now included in an annual return to carers. Significant also is the $32.49 payment to singles and $10 to couples, increasing the full rate of the pension.

From an economic point of view we worked out as a very rough estimate last night that the pension rises in our area—where we represent one of the highest pension numbers in Australia—amount to about an $18 million injection into the economy on the mid-North Coast. So not only from an individual and a couple’s point of view but from a local economic point of view it is a significant step forward for the economic life on the mid-North Coast. Likewise for the carers’ payments, if we did some very rough calculations there would be approximately a $5 million to $6 million increase in the economic opportunities on the mid-North Coast—again, a significant contribution to the economic life on the mid-North Coast as well as for the individuals concerned.

Just picking up on the previous speaker, I really enjoyed one point that he did make, which was that a commitment from government—and I hope all governments, regardless of political persuasion—is and should be not only to make carers important in the lives of their families and the people they are caring for but also to make and, in many ways, showcase carers as model citizens at a community level. If that role is being played by government, or is attempted to be played through these financial contributions, then it is a good role and an important role, because the example that carers provide at a community level is an incredibly good one.

The other point I would like to make about this legislation is, I guess, the zero-sum game in the financials attached to this legislation where we see $460 million in commitments in 2011-12 to the carers supplement pretty well matched by $432 million saving in 2011-12 with regards to the removal of the indexation for three years on the various family assistance income threshold amounts. I would hope that that second factor on the indexation is one—and I am sure it is—that is constantly under review by government and by the executive over the next three years. For the very same reasons that I have just been talking about with regards to the value of these payments at the most local of community levels, the loss to the individuals and communities such as mine of not receiving those indexation payments do make a difference in many lives and in many communities.

I therefore ask this in good faith and with hope. I do assume that it is something that is under constant review. If you look at some of the reports coming out with regard to when we are going to come out of this recession and have the great recovery, some of the reports are saying that we are going to come out strong and hard and almost better than many other countries in the world. If that happens sooner rather than later, I hope that some of these questions are revisited—the freeze for three years on indexation questions and the related impacts on communities such as mine. I certainly support this legislation. It is really good to see carers getting a voice within this parliament. I certainly hope that from a financial point of view consideration is given to the other family assistance payments with regard to those threshold and indexation questions so that we can see more people recognised for the good work that they are doing at a community level on the mid-north coast of New South Wales as well as throughout Australia.

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