Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Bill 2017. The Turnbull government backs its commitments. It stands by the workers of Australia and it stands by the mutual obligations between citizens on welfare, the government and taxpayers. We know that those opposite have proved to be no friend of the workers, with their dodgy union deals and their job-killing taxes that we've been hearing about for some time. We on this side do stand for workers, and we want more Australians to be in work. We want them to be in a job. (Quorum formed)

It is so great to have an audience here, especially on this side, because, as we know, we on this side actually stand for people getting a job. People just wanted to hear that and to know that those on the other side do not. We understand that the best form of welfare comes not from this government, or any other government, for that matter, but from a well-paying, stable job. This is why we are backing our commitment to comprehensive reform to Australia's welfare system and introducing this bill.

The bill we're debating today has seen extensive consultation, with some 271 public submissions and 231 online comments received. The reference group has met with 160 organisations across all capital cities. Consultation has taken place with government departments, state and territory governments, and welfare groups. The development of this bill has taken legal advice into account to ensure that it is consistent with privacy laws, disability discrimination laws and human rights obligations. This bill contains an integrated suite of measures to deliver a simpler and fairer welfare system. This bill provides savings, increases simplicity and allows for a stronger assurance of the mutual obligations that those on welfare in this country abide by. Most importantly, the bill focuses on supporting people into work. That should be the ultimate goal of our welfare system. And that is what the Australian taxpayer expects.

Included in this bill is legislation to introduce a new jobseeker payment from 20 March 2020, which will replace some seven existing payments. This new payment will replace the Newstart allowance, sickness allowance, wife pension, bereavement allowance, widow B pension, widow allowance and partner allowance. Achieving all of this will aid simplicity, make our welfare system more accessible and more sustainable, and smooth the delivery of its services, which is what the taxpayer and those who receive welfare expect from the government. This will help not only Centrelink customers but also its staff. This bill also provides for a faster connection to employment services, commencing on 1 January 2018. Faster connection to employment services means, of course, faster employment. And who doesn't want that? This bill will introduce measures to address substance misuse by welfare recipients. To do this it will remove exemptions from mutual obligation requirements for those with drug or alcohol related reasons. It will also tighten regulations relating to excuses considered reasonable for noncompliance with obligations.

But that's not all that this bill does. The bill provides for a comprehensive restructuring of the entire welfare system, including the introduction of a points based demerit system to ensure jobseeker compliance. This strengthens the penalties for persistent and deliberate noncompliance but will have no effect on those complying with their jobseeker obligations, which is the way it should be. We do not believe in punishing those who only want a fair go. I think all Australians would accept that. What we do believe in is a fair go for the taxpayers of Australia as well.

Our reform package also contains several streamlining processes, which will take effect from 1 January 2018. One such efficiency is changing the current system where intent to claim is deemed to be a claim. This measure will produce savings and also encourage jobseekers to engage with the system sooner, which should be encouraged. We will also be streamlining the collection of tax file numbers and improving the efficiency of processes around welfare fraud referral. Despite what those opposite may try to imply, the objective of this bill is simple: to create a fairer welfare system that supports more Australians to move into jobs. Australians are not mugs, and they don't like being taken for mugs either. They reasonably expect that those who can work should work. It's as simple as that, and the bill we are introducing represents that expectation.

This is a positive turning point for Australia's welfare system, focusing it better on what should be its key objective. Nobody wants to demonise those on welfare, and this is not some mean-spirited act from this side of the House. What we do want—what I want and what the Australian taxpayer wants—is to see people moving from welfare to gainful employment. I think we all want that. The intergenerational welfare trap is far too prevalent in this country, and I see the impact of this far too often in my vast electorate of Durack, where many of Australia's disadvantaged people live. I do not begrudge anyone access to welfare when they need it, but it is also incumbent upon individuals to take responsibility for themselves and, if capable, seek out employment opportunities. This bill simply reinforces this responsibility while seeking to assist those who are not capable of doing so.

As I've said, this bill is designed to address substance abuse amongst welfare recipients. To this end, some 5,000 new recipients of Newstart and youth allowance will take part in a two-year, drug-testing trial rolled out over three trial sites. The three drug-testing trial site locations have now been announced, and I'm confident that the residents in these areas will see the benefits of this policy. For the first time, our welfare system will address substance abuse amongst welfare recipients. Many of those who earn their salary in my electorate are required to pass a drug test to start work each day, particularly in the mining industry. I don't think it's unreasonable that those who benefit from their taxes are held to the same standard. And I might just put on record—as my friend the member for Barker has done—that, given that I earn my living from the taxes of the taxpayers, I have no objection to being drug-tested every single day. Indeed, when I worked in the mining game and also in the agricultural industry, I was subjected to drug testing and I have no issue with it whatsoever.

This drug-testing measure is not designed to be punitive. As I've said before, this is not some mean-spirited act where the dreadful Liberals and the National Party are trying to be nasty to people. It is not that at all. The specific aim of this bill is to help those with a drug or alcohol problem. That is the point of this reform. The point is to help them to deal with their substance abuse and, ultimately, to provide a pathway for them to secure employment. Helping those with a history of drug and alcohol use to secure employment will allow them to enjoy the advantages and the security that comes from earning a living through work. That is what this bill aims to achieve.

Jobseekers who return an initial positive drug test will continue to receive the same amount of welfare payments. The drug-testing trial is not about cutting welfare from people who use drugs and alcohol. However, they will have their welfare payments quarantined to help them meet essential living costs and to limit their ability to purchase drugs. If a jobseeker tests positive a second time, they will be given a referral to a medical professional. The professional will assess their circumstances and work with the individual to identify appropriate treatment options. These treatment options will then form part of the mutual obligations moving forward.

These measures are all designed to assist vulnerable Australians to escape the scourge of drugs and to take away the funding for those merchants of misery who deal them.

See this speech in context