Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to voice my support for this amendment. This amendment is critical. If we allow people to go back to the original Newstart rate, the original JobSeeker rate, we are indeed condemning people to poverty and hunger in this nation. I just had a quick look on realestate.com at rentals in my electorate. The cheapest two-bedroom unit available is $280 a week. If on 1 January we allow people to go back to the original Jobseeker rate, that's $282.85 a week. We just can't do that in Australia. We just shouldn't do that in Australia. And food has gone up immeasurably during the COVID crisis. Where you used to be able to perhaps spend $100 on food, people are spending at least $120 or $130 for that same shopping basket.

The $240-a-week coronavirus supplement is critical for individuals who are on JobSeeker and it's critical for families who are on a range of payments, but it's also really critical for small businesses in our electorates. If we want money in the economy, this is a very easy way to ensure that the whole payment goes directly into the hands of small businesses in our communities. People aren't spending their money on overseas holidays. They aren't spending their money on frivolous items. They are buying food. They are shopping locally, at the greengrocer, the butcher and the supermarket. I think that this amendment is incredibly important.

I meet too many pensioners and disability support pensioners in my electorate who are struggling. I would urge the government to look at the pension. When I have a pensioner that comes to me and they have broken dentures—their dentures are held together with superglue and they have ulcers in their mouth—there is something seriously wrong in this nation. We must ensure that older Australians are cared for better than is currently happening. I really urge the government to consider this amendment earnestly and to support the amendment in this place.

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