George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Through you, Mr President—Senator Cameron, as I said to you before, I am not familiar with Senator Abetz's commentary on this issue, but, if the words you attribute to him are accurately attributed, I do not agree with him. I do not agree, because the fact is that all should acknowledge that if we are to have a First World, generous social welfare system forming a safety net so that the people who need it most get it most then we have to ensure that every dollar of transfer payments paid through the social security system goes to the people who are entitled to them, and not a penny more. Not a penny less, but not a penny more. When there is evidently a discrepancy from the two primary sources of information in relation to a recipient's income—that is, what they lodge with the ATO and what they lodge with Centrelink—then of course once an apparent discrepancy is discovered, it ought to be interrogated. (Time expired)