Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Social Services Legislation Amendment (No.2 ) Bill 2015 will introduce three measures in the Social Services portfolio, and I thank members for their contributions in the debate. In the first measure, the bill will amend the social security law to streamline the current income management program under a two-year continuation. Income management and the BasicsCard will continue for two additional years to maintain support for existing income management participants. The streamlining amendments made by this bill will enable more effective operation of the income management program. For example, certain incentive payments relating to income management will be abolished, and the operation of the vulnerable measure of income management will be refined and minor amendments made to remove ambiguities and improve the program's effectiveness.

The bill also makes amendments to reflect two measures relating to aged care, which were included in the 2014-15 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook announcement. From 1 July 2015, the bill will cease payment of the residential care subsidy to residential aged-care providers for holding a place for up to seven days before a recipient enters care. This will ensure the subsidy is appropriately targeted at people actually receiving care.

Lastly, the bill will reflect the government's decision, as part of the Smaller Government initiative, to abolish the aged care planning advisory committees. The aged care planning advisory committees' role was to provide advice in relation to the distribution of aged-care places; however, the last of these committees expired in September 2014. These amendments repeal the now redundant relevant provisions in the Aged Care Act.

I also wish to place on record my commendation for the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Fifield, for the extraordinary work he is doing with responsibility for aged care and his involvement in the bringing forward of those measures that I have just made reference to. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.