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

I thank Senator Lazarus for his amendments and comments. The government has been in discussion with the Palmer United Party in relation to the issue of indexation. The Palmer United Party have put forward the proposition that there should be indexation at the CPI rate for each relevant year in the period relating to payment amounts from 2003-04 to 2013-14 and that the CPI rate would be applied to individual years to give a compounding effect. The effect of this amendment would be to increase the individual amounts paid to claimants in the scheme. The Palmer United Party amendments only make the scheme more generous. I want to acknowledge the good spirit in which the Palmer United Party and the leader, Senator Lazarus, and Senator Wang approached these discussions and this legislation. I acknowledge their genuine concern to ensure that Australian disability enterprises continue and that the employees in those organisations, who obviously gain the dignity of work, continue to have that opportunity. If I have not made it clear already, let me make it clear that the government will be supporting the Palmer United Party amendments.