Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The chamber has had before it a number of questions asked by the opposition side. They have been playing nothing more than political games, and now they have put a motion and want us to discuss the issue of some amendments that are before the chamber and that the minister has already said would be discussed later today. It is timely that this is put before us given that we have before us an entire package; that is, the economic stimulus package.

The government, we know, is of course providing additional financial assistance to families who rely on one main income earner. We know that the amendments before us today will address those issues. I am sure that, when the minister addresses the chamber later today, it will be a significant contribution and I am sure too that the Australian families out there, who will welcome this package, will be listening and looking forward to seeing what the entire content is. This will include sole parent families and two-parent families where one parent chooses to stay at home or to balance unpaid work with their caring for children. The bonus will be a one-off payment, if the particular amendment goes through, of $900 per family to every family entitled to family tax benefit part B. The one-off payment will be made in the fortnight. This has already been mentioned. It has been part of the package; it was announced then. That is why we said it was important to get this bill up before the Senate. It was widely said that it was important that there was the opportunity for the Senate to pass this bill in this sitting, because that is required for it to commence in March.

It is expected that, as a result of these amendments and the stimulus package, around 1½ million families entitled to the family tax benefit part B on 3 February 2009 will benefit from the single-income family bonus. The payment is for each eligible family, and it will not be taxed or included for social security income-testing purposes. The bonus is intended to be paid by Centrelink in March to families who receive their family assistance as fortnightly instalments or as soon as practicable thereafter. For families who receive their payments as a lump sum at the end of the financial year, the one-off payment will be made with the rest of their family tax benefit part B payment. The timing of these payments will depend on when families claim.

Family tax benefit is paid to the parent who is the primary carer of a child. I understand that there are some amendments that will address these issues and I assume that the minister will speak to them later today—possibly this afternoon or this evening. The normal rules that apply to the sharing of family tax benefit will apply to this payment—that is, where there is at least 35 per cent shared care, the payment will be shared according to the percentage of care. As I was saying earlier, Senator Abetz, sitting there on that side—