Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. As I have said in this House many times before, the government is focused on ensuring Australia remains a high-wage First World economy with a generous social welfare safety net. Fairness is an absolutely critical element of our national economic plan. Many people speak about inequality. Let me say this: the greatest inequality starts with joblessness. Unemployment is the principal driver of poverty.

We on our side of the House are committed to ensuring that our tax and transfer systems support those most in need. The honourable member has sitting next to her, on her right, the shadow Assistant Treasurer, who published extensively in the days when he did not have to run off the talking points written in the Leader of the Opposition's office. He talked about how well Australia's benefits system was means tested and how it therefore delivered much less inequality in household income than exists in comparable developed economies such as the United States. So a targeted social welfare system, coupled with strong economic growth, is absolutely critical. So our commitment is we target the taxpayer support to those who need it most. We encourage those who can work to work and use their own means to support themselves where possible.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

I am glad the honourable member for Jagajaga has chosen this moment to interject, because she reminds me that she herself said, memorably, when she was the minister responsible for social services:

The best way to keep people out of poverty is to keep them in jobs.

So what we are doing is driving strong economic growth.

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