Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that his government has kicked 600 farming families off the Farm Household Allowance as the drought worsens and will kick another 500 families off the payment by Christmas?

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

I refer the member to the statement we made last week—and I will invite the minister to add to my remarks, if he would like to—that we are adding an additional supplement for those coming off the Farm Household Allowance after their four years, a payment of $13,000 per family. They will receive $13,000, once the four years has concluded. What our government will continue to do, as we have done all the way through this drought is—as the minister rightly calls it—as the drought steps up another level, we step up another level. We will continue to monitor this issue very closely. On each occasion, we have responded to the advice we have received on the Farm Household Allowance. Remember, it started at three years forever; that was the policy setting we inherited. The Farm Household Allowance was for three years and that's all you got, forever. We increased that to four years and then we increased it to four years in every 10. Now, at the end of those four years, we have said that we will add in a further supplementary payment of $13,000, like we did last year when we added an additional $12,000 to the payment people were already receiving as part of the step-up of our drought response.

So, on each and every occasion, as the drought has continued, we have continued to step up our response as the step-up has required. And that is why I have said—and those opposite have lampooned the idea—it is the first call and it is the biggest call on the budget. As we consider the issues, whether we go to the MYEFO period or next year's budget, the first call, the first thing I am going to ensure is addressed is meeting the needs of our drought support programs. That is why those farmers are getting an extra $13,000. That's why we're prepared to provide that support—to ensure that they continue to receive the financial assistance that they are seeking.