Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cameron, for those questions and, yes, you are right: the program did not require legislation, as with many government programs, to commence and therefore it commenced on 1 April.

In relation to statistics, I have some statistics with me, which I am sure the department is currently getting for me. If I cannot get them during the term of this debate, I will certainly endeavour to provide them to you later on today. I understand that approximately, at this point in time, 40 per cent of the internships are within tourism and accommodation but, obviously, there are a wide variety of industries that have come on board. I will endeavour to get the statistics on how many are currently in the program, bearing in mind that the program has been up and running now for only five weeks.

In terms of your question, currently, without the passing of the legislation, is the $200 a fortnight top-up payment counted as income? The answer is: yes, it is—hence the reason we are debating this bill—and there will be no reimbursement; there will be none.