Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

This is exactly germane to the nature of the discussion that we are having, where we are talking about providing a small increase to a group of people on income support and not to another group on income support: those on Newstart and youth allowance. It is part of a pattern that can be clearly demonstrated and I have been demonstrating over the years, and the latest is Minister Tudge releasing to the media—the usual media sources, I might add—lists of the numbers of people in particular suburbs. Quite clearly the way it is being portrayed in the media and the way the government intended for that to happen is for those suburbs to become a focus. The effect of what he is doing is to demean those people in those suburbs, and that is exactly how people have taken it. In our home state there is a significant backlash about it.

I will not mention the community again, but one example is a community in the southern metropolitan area in our home state of Western Australia. It had exactly the effect that the minister intended, which is to focus on those suburbs, but there has been a backlash because people are sick of it. They are sick of being treated the way they are being treated by this government.

Leaving out people on Newstart and youth allowance is perpetrating yet again more denigration and difficulties for people on income support and allowances rather than pensions. As I said, I am glad the aged pensioners and people on the disability support pension and parenting payment single will be receiving this payment. It should have been extended to all people receiving income support so that they would get a little bit of a fill-up when they need it most and in particular when they are trying to meet their energy payments. It would have helped their total bottom line. We will support this bill. We urge the government to look further into providing those struggling on Newstart and youth allowance the same sort of payment.