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

The government is unable to support this amendment. I note, if I am correct, that this amendment would in fact conflict with a Democrat amendment and I am wondering whether it may be possible to consider those two amendments together for the sake of time management. While the Democrats and the Greens are thinking about that, I indicate the government’s opposition to both the Greens and Democrat proposals. The proposed amended provision excludes some—I think the Democrats would exclude all of them whereas the Greens amendment excludes some—financial case management debt that should clearly be the subject of recovery action. For example, under the amended provision, withholdings would not be available in all cases where a person committed a fraud. The government, and I would have thought Australian taxpayers, simply could not support that outcome. The government believes that the provisions in the original bill are clear in their intent and will allow financial case management debt to be recovered from social security payments in all cases where this is appropriate.