Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Is the minister aware of the announcement by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations that, under the Howard government’s welfare changes, parents would not have to accept a job that did not result in at least a $25 a week net gain after the costs of work had been taken into account? Isn’t it also the case that, under these changes, parents must work for 15 hours a week? Doesn’t this mean that the hourly return from work the government regards as acceptable for a parent is $1.66 an hour? Could the minister indicate whether he would work for a net benefit of $1.66 an hour?