Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to comment on the material that we have received back from the Senate. I want to acknowledge the support the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Increased Employment Participation) Bill 2014 received this morning in the other place.

Members and senators have shown their support for action to help arrest this country's unemployment and youth unemployment rates. This bill gives effect to the job commitment bonus, which will provide an incentive for young long-term unemployed people to take a job and keep that job, and by doing so escape the spiral of long-term unemployment. The job commitment bonus provides a bonus of $2½ thousand to young people who have kept a job and stayed off welfare for 12 months. An additional $4,000 will be payable if they remain employed and off welfare for a further 12 months—that is, 24 months in total.

The bill also enables the Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program, which enables long-term unemployed to gain assistance to move to take up a job. Assistance of up to $6,000 is available for job seekers to move to a regional area or up to $3,000 to move to a metropolitan area. Families with dependent children will be provided with up to an extra $3,000. The government notes the opposition's amendments to the bill, which will retain the status quo in relation to non-payment periods. The government will agree to these amendments.

Once again, I would like to thank members and senators for recognising the value of employment and the social, economic and health benefits that employment can bring. This bill will provide incentives to assist long-term unemployed people, young and old alike, to take up employment and stay in employment. I certainly commend this bill to the House.

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