Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I was trying to be of some help to the senator, but clearly I was not. The government—I explained to the senator—believed that it was appropriate in the Spreading the Benefits of the Boom package to provide support to low- and middle-income Australia. We included, as a result of those considerations, the supplement to which she refers. I appreciate that her position is that the Newstart rate should be changed. That is not the position of the government. As I have said, the government's first priority is to help people get paid work. We, I think, have demonstrated our commitment to that. If you look at where the unemployment rate is today, if you look at the assistance that is provided to people who are looking for work and if you look at the increased numbers of people over time participating, then I think the policy position is clear. (Time expired)