Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How will the Albanese Labor government's changes to parenting payment single deliver targeted cost-of-living relief?

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the member for Fraser for that question and for his fierce advocacy for families in his electorate. I'd like to thank many of my Labor colleagues and, indeed, many on the crossbench as well, for their advocacy on boosting support for single parents.

Yesterday the Prime Minister announced that this government will expand the eligibility for the single-parent payment by increasing the age cut-off from when the youngest child turns eight to when the youngest child turns 14. This will provide 57,000 low-income single parents with an additional $176.90 per fortnight. This measure will strengthen Australia's safety net and, as the Prime Minister yesterday, is an investment in families. It recognises that many single parents—overwhelmingly women—have a lot to juggle. The juggle doesn't change when the child turns eight. Our change means that parents will continue to receive a higher payment during the later primary school years and through the critical transition to high school. As children get older the demands on parenting don't go away but they do evolve. Single parents are in a much stronger position to take on more paid work as their children get older, but they do need support to get there.

I'd like to acknowledge the work by Terese Edwards of the Council of Single Mothers and Sam Mostyn AO of the Women's Economic Equality Taskforce, who put significant work into their report and who also welcomed yesterday's announcement. They said the reform will allow those who qualify for the payment to be better parents and to unlock their untapped economic potential. Both of these women have been consistent and constructive in their advocacy on particular challenges facing single parents, most of whom are women.

I'm pleased that our changes have been warmly welcomed by many advocates and stakeholders, including The Parenthood and the Australian Council of Social Service, who have both called this measure life-changing. The Australian Council of Social Service said that 'restoration of the parenting payment was a key recommendation of the Women's Economic Equality Taskforce' and that the government's changes were 'incredibly welcome'. The Parenthood also said that this change, along with the abolition of the ParentsNext program, 'will greatly help thousands of vulnerable children and parents, most mothers, and allow them to have greater financial freedom and flexibility'.

Our change will ensure single parents have the safety net they need. Our government is focused on families dealing with the day-to-day financial pressures, while creating more economic security for them over the long-term. (Time expired)

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Page will be silent so I can hear from the Leader of the Nationals.