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

Colleagues will recall that there were two budget measures that impact on young people under the age of 30, and they are commonly referred to as 'earn or learn'. We approached the last budget with the intent of doing everything we possibly could to assist younger Australians into work. That is what motivated and informed the budget measures to which Senator Siewert refers. It is clear that the government has not secured passage of those through the parliament but, as Minister Morrison has made clear, all the social services budget measures remain on the table. He has extended an invitation to all colleagues: if they want to engage in a discussion in relation to those budget measures, he is very happy to do so. But what he encourages, and what the government encourages, is for those who want to discuss to bring something to the table themselves. Bring a proposition to have a point of departure for a discussion.

I can confirm that those measures do remain on the table, but let me reiterate Minister Morrison's invitation to sit down, to talk. If colleagues in this place or colleagues in the other place think they have a better idea or an alternative idea as to how to achieve the objective of seeing more young people in work, then please do so, because the government is very willing to talk.