Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering responsible cost-of-living relief for Australians, and what has been the response?

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 Makin for that question. The Albanese government is delivering a responsible budget that provides cost-of-living help now, builds a stronger and more resilient economy, and invests in a future made in Australia. In my portfolio, Social Services, we are providing more assistance for those who rely on it. This includes a further increase in the maximum rate of Commonwealth rent assistance, benefiting close to one million households. Since we were elected, the maximum rate of rent assistance has increased by 42 per cent. We will expand eligibility for the higher rate of JobSeeker, to help those who are only able to work up to 14 hours a week, and give more flexibility to those on carer payment who want to do more work, study or volunteering. We've also frozen deeming rates for a further 12 months so that part-pensioners, along with other income support recipients, can keep more of what they earn on their investments. This is in addition to other cost-of-living relief across the government, including providing energy rebates for all householders, delivering cheaper medicines and, of course, giving all Australians a tax cut from 1 July.

Our assistance has been welcomed by many, including groups such as the Council on the Ageing and National Seniors, with the Council on the Ageing saying this week that our rent assistance changes were welcomed by many. Unfortunately, this positive response to supporting those on payments with the cost of living is not shared by those opposite. On Sunday, the member for Hume suggested he would cut so-called unrestrained spending. The spending he was referring to includes the cost of indexing pensions and working age payments. These are critically important to keeping up with the cost of living. The Leader of the Opposition needs to come clean with the Australian people tonight. Does he agree with his shadow Treasurer that this spending is not necessary?

We all know the coalition has form when it comes to cutting support payments. Who could forget the promise that there'd be no cuts to pensions in 2013. In 2014 there were cuts to pensions across the board.

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

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 minister is trailing well into historical matters. It was a fairly narrowly drafted question and there's simply no scope for her to be going where she's going right now.

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

The manager is correct. The minister wasn't asked about alternative approaches in the past; she was asked about the government's announcements and what the response has been. That's not an entitlement to talk about anything that the opposition has been doing. She has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I think that it's made clear by those opposite that, while they have form on this, they now seem to be signalling that they want to cut the pension again. We all know that when those opposite start talking about cutting unrestrained spending they mean cuts to pensions and other support payments. This is unacceptable. The Leader of the Opposition has to come clean with the Australian people. (Time expired)