Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

The government does not find itself able to support the amendments that are being proposed. They would allow people in the disability support pension transition group to retain their transition group status indefinitely. That is contrary to the government’s intention that people would no longer be in the transition group once they had had their first review after 1 July 2006 and is against the new rules. Accepting the Labor-Greens amendments would discriminate against other DSP recipients—that is, DSP recipients who are not in the transition group who also receive the pensioner education supplement. Other DSP recipients do not have the benefit of retaining their entitlement to the pensioner education supplement if they lose their entitlement to DSP.

The government remains committed to assisting people in the DSP transition group who lose entitlement to DSP when assessed against the new rules and move to Newstart or the youth allowance. The government introduced the special provision to retain the pensioner education supplement for this group to ensure that DSP transition group recipients who have been undertaking a course of study in preparation for work are not disadvantaged because of their transition group status.

However, DSP transition group recipients should also not be advantaged indefinitely over all other DSP recipients, which is what these amendments seek to do. The government believes that there are many benefits of working, such as increased income, access to on-the-job training, improved self-esteem and greater confidence. People on Newstart and the youth allowance are assisted to look for work that matches their capacity and they have access to appropriate vocational training through Job Network and the other providers of Australian government employment services. This gives people who have substantial work capacity the opportunity to reduce their reliance on welfare payments. Alternatively, people who wish to study can apply for Austudy or the youth allowance.

Senator Wong referred to the different philosophical approaches of the government and opposition. I would say that I think we are in heated agreement in relation to that—that we, in fact, do have different philosophical approaches—and we make no apology for our proposals to get people off welfare and into work. However, those debates have been previously had and, as Senator Wong showed great self-restraint in developing that any further, I will reciprocate by also showing restraint in not rehashing the arguments.

However, one issue that I do need to engage in is the suggestion that we have somehow broken a promise in relation to the pensioner education supplement. I simply repeat: there has been no change to the government’s commitment that people in the DSP transition group can continue receiving the pensioner education supplement for the duration of their course, if they are receiving that supplement when they are reviewed against the new rules.