Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Hansard source

I am speaking against the amendments, but not because I think some of the points made by the member for Melbourne or the member for Pearce are not sincerely held or indeed that some of their concerns have no validity. This measure has been around since 2006. Also, in the 2011-12 budget the government grandfathered children to age 12. The real debate here is not about encouraging sole parents or people on parenting payments to try to find work but about the adequacy of Newstart. I refer those proposing the amendments to what I said and what has happened in the Senate on those questions.

But I also want to speak briefly on the amendments. I do not accept the proposition advanced by the member for Pearce that the government are doing nothing to provide incentives for people to get to work. I do not accept that because, in fact, in our carbon package we are raising the tax-free threshold to $18,200. The government have spent extra money—and it is a matter of record, not a matter of conjecture—on skills and training. So we are in fact doing more for our people in the category which the member for Pearce has expressed concern about than any of our predecessors have ever done.

More can be done. That is why we are working on, amongst other measures, a National Disability Insurance Scheme, to help people who need support to have, for whatever reasons, incentives to go to work. I recognise the concerns about this proposition that we are advancing today. I think, on balance, that the propositions that we are advancing are correct, but I also recognise the government has been acting to assist people to find work and we will continue to do so. We continue to welcome the contributions of those making the amendments in this case.

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