Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services: how will the passage of the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Safety Net) Bill help to deliver the Albanese Labor government's $14.6 billion cost-of-living package? What has been the response to the government's support for those Australians who need it the most?

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

I thank the member for Adelaide for that question. Yesterday, the government plan to strengthen the safety net passed the parliament. Our plan will deliver cost-of-living support for around 800,000 people on JobSeeker, 230,000 people on Youth Allowance and 1.1 million households who receive Rent Assistance, with more support for 57,000 single parents. These were well-calibrated, responsible changes that provided support without adding to inflation.

With the passage of our safety net bill yesterday, additional support and help to those doing it toughest will flow from 20 September. This was widely welcomed across the spectrum, with the Australian Council of Social Service calling this bill 'a step in the right direction' after years of decline and neglect. Of course, you don't need to think too far about where these years of decline and neglect happened—it was under those opposite. This was further demonstrated by the mean-spirited amendment to the bill yesterday that scrapped the $40 increase for JobSeeker. If that amendment had been successful, it would have denied much-needed relief to around one million Australians.

Yesterday, Senator Ruston sang from the same old Liberal song sheet during the debate, saying that this increase to working payments would only incentivise welfare. We don't have to think too far back to her also-infamous comments in 2019, where she said increases to unemployment benefits would end up giving drug dealers and pubs more money. That is the attitude of those opposite. It's hardly surprising that those opposite are also the party of robodebt. Commissioner Holmes, when talking about the robodebt scheme, said it was remarkable how little thought was given to how it would impact welfare recipients. The Liberal Party robodebt scheme caused suffering to more than 430,000 people.

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

Order. The minister will pause. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance—the question was about the passage of the safety net bill and it finished with 'What has been the response?' In any view, the territory the minister is now canvassing is not relevant to the question.

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

I'm going to ask the minister to make her answer relevant to the question. She's straying into another territory that wasn't part of the question. I'm asking her to bring it back to the question.

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

What I am highlighting is the connection between the cruel approach of those opposite when it came to robodebt and their cruel approach to trying to oppose a $40 increase. Of course, the Leader of the Opposition claimed our safety net bill would just make it more attractive to stay in unemployment. Those opposite just don't get it. The Albanese Labor government is getting on with the job of delivering more support to those Australians who rely on our social safety net. Labor built a strong social safety net, and I'm proud that this bill will further strengthen it.