Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

If I can start by turning the question around slightly: it is the intention of the government to ensure that we provide at least quarterly reports about the operation of the job seeker compliance arrangements. Included in that will be material such as the number of no show, no pay penalties, the number of reconnection penalties, the number of eight-week non-payment penalties and the number of comprehensive compliance assessments. The reason I have turned it around in this way is that we should look at the way the system is working positively as well. That data should also be available. I said ‘at least quarterly’—obviously there will be an opportunity during estimates to extract data as well—because there is likely to be a lag as it will take some time in the compilation. We will work very hard to ensure that we can at least identify the lag and the dates the information is available for, but it will be provided on at least a quarterly basis. I am sure that Minister O’Connor will work very hard to ensure that the lag is not going to provide data which is unhelpful.

You also asked about the number of males, females and people who might be Indigenous. The only caveat I would put on that is that we will provide as much information as we possibly can except—and it is, of course, deidentified—where it provides information to such a level that it might identify who the groups are. My example—and do not hold me to this—is where there might be 20 people in a small town. Data might not be provided because it may identify the individuals. It would be our preference not to do that. Of course, you will have the opportunity at estimates to examine some of that and have that discussion.

The other point I would make is that some of this bill is contained in the legislative instrument, and it is critical that we get that right as well. The legislative instrument will come up in April. The first set of legislative instruments will be introduced before April, and that will give adequate time for the instrument to be disallowed before the legislation comes into effect—although I would not encourage you to do that, Senator Siewert. It is a matter of process more than anything else, but that will also provide a bit more information in detail about how the bill will operate. That will be contained in there.

The data will be provided by employment services stream and by failure type as well, so that will provide additional information. These are all matters that we will discuss with you in due course—I suspect at estimates. If we can improve upon the type and nature of data after feedback from the Greens or the opposition, we are keen to take that on board. We want clarity and transparency around this. It is about getting people into jobs. It is about ensuring that jobs are the focus.