Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Minister for Social Services. I refer to his previous non-answer, as it's around 1½ million Australian families that are worse off. Isn't it the case that a family with a household income of $60,000 a year with two primary-school-age children will be around $440 worse off because of his freeze to family tax benefits?

Ms Henderson interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Corangamite will cease interjecting.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to thank the member for her question. I don't want to start in this portfolio by getting into tit-for-tat discussions with her. But, since she's come back again, I'm going to have to point out that the paid parental leave threshold was first paused in the 2011-12 budget for two years.

An honourable member: Who was in then?

I'm still a bit new in this portfolio, but I'm trying to remember who was in government then.

An honourable member: Or who was the minister.

Or who was the minister. Was it the minister who said this:

The more that people go back to work, the better. It's better for the family, it's great for the kids to see mum and or dad or both going to work. Unfortunately, we have far too many children growing up in Australia where nobody is working.

Was it the minister who moved 80,000 single parents onto Newstart? Was it that minister? I can keep going, but what I want to say to all of you—

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left!

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are other examples, member for Jagajaga, of where you froze payments. So what I will say is that we on this side are about positive policies which will help people be able to get work, earn incomes, look after their kids and provide for their families. That is what we are about. We are going to deliver for those families by producing a strong economy and making sure we continue to have jobs growth so that, as was mentioned before, when people lose their job—like Sam Dastyari—they can find another one. We are going to make sure that we can continue to do that. We are going to build on the work that we are doing so that every Australian who has the opportunity to do so will be able to get work and support themselves.