Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

The advice that I received from the department is that there would be up to 3,000 people eligible for the benefits that Senator Siewert referred to. The fact remains that when people get individualised treatment and support they may find that they are eligible for other entitlements. That is exactly the point. We want to ensure that people take the phone call from Centrelink and the interviews, and so are able to have the support provided about the range of other benefits available, whether they be through job skills, childcare support or other measures that the government has on offer. It is a question of providing personalised support.

I was somewhat surprised that Senator Siewert suggested in an article that I was disingenuous in this effort. All I can say to you is that the government is— (Time expired)