Vince Connelly (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Given that I am now in continuation, I will reflect very briefly on some of the sentiment that I expressed yesterday. Fundamentally, it is this: with employment comes a greater sense of both dignity and self-worth for the person who is filling that role. I'm sure that all those joining me in the chamber today, and the great many listening online as well, feel the same way—that not only are there extrinsic rewards in being able to take home a salary, there are intrinsic rewards in having a sense of purpose. Providing a good or a service is valued out there in the community and brings a sense of dignity and self-worth. It is against that backdrop that this current bill is absolutely positioned.

According to an AIHW report titled 'Australia's welfare 2021', Indigenous employment rates reduced from 54 per cent to 49 per cent in the period of 2007-08 and 2018-19, while the rate for non-Indigenous Australians' employment remains stable at around 76 per cent. The report also tells us that, in 2018-19, Indigenous Australians were less likely to be employed the further away from a major city they lived. So it's clear that as a nation we must adapt and evolve to better meet new and existing challenges.

The Social Security Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021 will provide a framework for piloting new approaches to delivering employment services in remote communities ahead of implementing the government's budget announcement that the Community Development Program, or CDP, will be replaced in 2023. The bill builds on the Australian government's commitment to reform of employment services and it's a critical component of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The bill will establish a new supplementary payment for eligible jobseekers in remote engagement program pilot sites who volunteer to participate in placements that are like having a job. I note that the definition of eligible jobseekers is as follows: 'Someone receiving a qualifying income support payment who receives employment services from a remote engagement program service provider and who has agreed to participate and is participating in an eligible placement with a host organisation for at least 15 hours each week.' I further note that the supplementary payment provided to eligible jobseekers participating in the program will not be subject to an income test. The placements will build participants' skills to deliver goods and services to the benefit of their local communities, and provide a pathway for jobseekers to find a job. And that end goal of a job is the key driver of this policy. As we know, and as we have, rightly, oft heard repeated, the very best form of welfare is of course a job.

It's important to note that what is proposed in this bill is a pilot. The pilot will support collaboration with communities to develop an appropriately flexible program that will build the skills and vocational capabilities of people in remote communities. This is an approach that will put people living in remote communities at the heart of related decision-making. As with any pilot, it is anticipated that adjustments may be made throughout the process, and the government welcomes the opportunity to work with people living in remote communities to develop a policy that empowers them to shape their own future. On that basis, I commend this bill to the House.

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