Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

All right; to the chair: as I am saying, if the Labor Party and everyone here is in agreement that this bereavement payment should not be gone, for a cost of $1,040,000, I think it's important that we do support this bereavement allowance. Hence, although the One Nation party voted the way that we did last night, on reflection this is why we have put this amendment forward today—because it should be there and we stand by that. I don't want to cause any pain or undue stress on people, especially those going through this time.

As I've said, the amendment ensures that no bereaved person is worse off with the cessation of bereavement allowance. As the bill is currently drafted, from 20 March 2020 a bereaved person claiming youth allowance or jobseeker payment who is not pregnant will receive a one-off higher payment following the death of their partner. To ensure that no bereaved person is worse off under the new jobseeker payment, this amendment will change the way payments are calculated for bereaved persons from 20 March 2020, to ensure that there will be no difference between what a bereaved person receives under jobseeker payment or youth allowance compared to what they would've received under a bereavement allowance. With the removal of the potential difference in amounts between jobseeker payment and bereavement allowance, the new system provides a much better arrangement for those who are bereaved. Those who lose a partner do not have to apply for another payment, as they do under the current system. Instead, they receive an exemption from any mutual obligation requirements to support them in their time of bereavement and they will seamlessly move on into job search or other mutual obligation activities once the period of exemption ends. This will make the system simpler and maintain support for those experiencing one of the most difficult moments of crisis. I have moved my requests for amendment. I hope that they get the support of this chamber and that people stop playing party politics.