Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

I again draw the senator’s attention to the $1,113.50 that will be available in the circumstances that I described in my previous submission. I am somewhat confused by the notion that, after making an argument in this place that we should only have payments over a period of time—13 payments—we now turn around and say that there are circumstances where somebody under 18 would need a lump sum payment. The simple answer is that, no, we do not have any arrangement for people under 18 years of age to receive a lump sum payment. That is because all the advice and the feedback from the community was that it should not be available to those people who are under 18—and remember for some time we have provided it for people under 18. So this is not a ‘what if’; we are moving on what we consider considerable public feedback and feedback from professionals in the area. As the senator would well know, this was well discussed in the media. We, as a very responsible government, are responding to community concerns on this matter. It is not our intention to provide lump sum payments for people under 18. That is why there is no provision for it under this legislation.