Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable senator for the question. The Gillard government is committed to building a fairer future for all Australian families. From next week more than 1.3 million Australian families will receive the second instalment of the Gillard government's schoolkids bonus. From 4 July eligible families will start receiving $205 for each child in primary school and $410 for each child in secondary school to help lighten the load for families facing back-to-school costs. In total, Australian families will receive about $1.3 billion in schoolkids bonus payments this year.

The schoolkids bonus is just one of the ways our government is supporting Australians to meet the costs of raising a family. From next week, more than 1.6 million Australians will get a boost to their regular family payments. This means that Australian families on low and middle incomes now receive up to $8,783 a year in support of a child in primary school, or more than $10,500 a year in support of a child in secondary school.

This is our way, this is the Labor way, of helping Australian families who need it most. We are helping them with the cost of power bills, with petrol and their grocery bills. Around the country Australian families have told our government how important the schoolkids bonus is to their family. But Mr Abbott has already told Australians that the schoolkids bonus is on the chopping block. Mr Abbott is prepared to hurt 1.3 million families if he becomes Prime Minister.

The Gillard government is working to build a fairer, smarter and stronger Australia where children are valued and their education is supported, while the Liberals want to cut it to the bone. (Time expired)