Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for his question and for his ongoing interest in social policy in this place. The 2014-15 budget delivers $19.3 billion to support families through the Family Tax Benefit payments. It also provides $28.6 billion for the Child Care Rebate and Child Care Benefit. And of course with the support of our new colleagues in this place, we will have the opportunity to repeal the carbon tax and provide, on average, $550 extra in the pockets of Australian families.

On this side of the chamber we recognise that those opposite left us with a projected debt of $670 billion. It would not have been responsible to do nothing about that. It would not have been responsible to just let the existing policy settings continue as they were. So it is true that we have had to take some difficult decisions. But I just want to put that in context, because those opposite seem to see good economic policy and good social policy as alternatives. On this side we see that as very much a false dichotomy. You have to have a good economic policy in order to sustain a good social policy, and the heart of a good economic policy is a good budget policy. So one of the reasons we are taking what are some difficult decisions is that we want to ensure that there is ongoing support available for families. We want to be in a position where we can ensure that there is a good and decent social safety net, because we want to make sure that government has the money to support what is its core business—and that is supporting people who face extra challenges for reasons beyond their control.