Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families, Community Services, Indigenous Affairs and Disability Reform. Will the minister outline to the House how the government is managing the economy to deliver for Australian families?

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Disability Reform) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Blair for his question and all the work he does for the families and pensioners in his electorate. It is the case that this Labor government is doing everything we possibly can to make sure that jobs are created. We are managing the economy in the interests of jobs. On this side of the House we know that the most important thing for any child is to see mum or dad, or both, going out to work every day and bringing home a pay packet every week. Those 700,000 extra jobs that have been created by this Labor government have meant so much to those families and to the children in them.

We also recognise that there are many pensioners who want to work and it is this Labor government that has introduced a new work bonus to support those pensioners on the age pension who want to work. Just today, we have introduced changes that will encourage people who are on the disability support pension to take on work or do more hours. It is this Labor government that has made sure that we do everything we can to help those households make ends meet, whether it is with the cost of child care by increasing the childcare rebate from 30 per cent to 50 per cent to help with out-of-pocket costs. It is this Labor government that has helped with the cost of teenagers. Those on the other side of the House seem to think that the cost of teenagers goes down when they hit 16. Of course, those on the other side are totally out of touch with the real life of working families and it is this government that has made sure that we have provided additional assistance to families of teenagers, increasing family tax benefits by up to $4,200 a year per child, to help those families with the cost of children and to make sure that those children are encouraged to stay on at school. What a contrast we see from those opposite. What is it that we know that this Leader of the Opposition can absolutely be guaranteed to do? We know there is one thing he can be guaranteed to do, and that is to give a tax cut to some of the wealthiest people in Australia. The other thing he can be guaranteed to do is to claw back money from the pockets of pensioners and the pockets of families.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will return to the question and be directly relevant.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the conduct of the opposition today has been disorderly from two o'clock through to 10 past three. There are only a couple of minutes to go. Is it possible that they could behave?

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The minister will return to the despatch box and will be directly relevant to the specifics of the question.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Disability Reform) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, I certainly will. I will once again go to one of the other big Labor reforms that we have introduced and that is benefiting so many families around Australia, and that is the introduction of our first national Paid Parental Leave scheme. We have 130,000 families that are now benefiting as a result of this Labor government's commitment. (Time expired)

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member for Blair was on his feet first.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A supplementary, Mr Speaker.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker!

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will listen to what the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is putting to me.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the minister was still on her feet answering when I stood up, and I am now seeking your call. It is the custom that the coalition have the next question. I have been on my feet.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. She does not have the call. The member for Blair is seeking to ask a supplementary to the question he asked, and I am going to listen to the member for Blair to see if his supplementary is allowable.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs advise the House on the impact of the changes she is making to families with people with disabilities and the impact on my electorate of Blair in particular?

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The supplementary question is in order.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Disability Reform) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Blair for his supplementary question, particularly in relation to people with disabilities in Blair. One of the things that we do want to encourage is the support of those people with disabilities who have some capacity to work in their ambition. As a result of the legislation we have put into the parliament today, we expect around 4,000 disability support pensioners to take up work and nearly 4,000 others to increase their hours of work. We also know how important it has been for around 23,000 pensioners in Blair to get the additional benefits that this government has provided.

We know that this Liberal opposition will take money out of the pockets of 23,000 pensioners in Blair. Up to $300 a year will come out of their pockets.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is not relevant and will resume her seat.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, under the new arrangements that is full time, so I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.