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

Thirty people you're saying will be worse off. It is the Labor Party that has just brought in a policy to do with franking credits that will affect at least 610,000 people. It could be up to a million people. Are they worried about it? Here they are in this chamber, screaming like pigs about 30 people, but they want to bring in franking credits that are going to affect 610,000 people. Let's get the figures into order.

Just so that we're clear, under the amendment put forward by One Nation, everyone who qualifies for the bereavement allowance under the jobseeker payment will be no worse off and some people will be better off than under the current arrangements. Payments are targeted to those who need it. Bereavement allowance is paid to people in lieu of work, and this is why it is exempt from normal mutual obligation tests and waiting periods.

Let's clarify a couple of things. Labor sat here last night, as I said, screaming like pigs that people would be left worse off. No, Senator Watt, they won't. One Nation has made the qualification very generous in its approach to the bereavement allowance. Initially, as you said, we voted with the government. We reflected on that with further information. That's why I introduced an amendment in this chamber. Under the government's amendment, if you look at it, as I clarified last night:

567FB Amount of payment

(1) The amount of the person’s payment is worked out using the following formula—

right? It is the 'daily rate of person's youth allowance on the relevant day' times 14 weeks times two by the government. Ours is times seven, which is far better than what the government was putting forward. It is far better for people. It will be income and asset tested, as all welfare money should be. Those people with less than $253,750, not including the family home, will be eligible. That takes out the family home. That is over a quarter of a million dollars. Those people who don't own a home will qualify for the bereavement allowance if they have less than $456,750 in cash and assets. That is not poor people. I don't think we could be fairer. Bereavement will be made available for people earning up to $1,053.34 per fortnight during the bereavement period. In regard to casual workers or people who have no access to leave arrangements, these people will qualify provided they do not earn over the income threshold during their bereavement period or hold assets higher than the amounts I quoted. This is because these people would be with little or no income during this period, during the lack of work.

Through the chair, I'm disgusted by the aspersions that Senator Watt put on me last night in the chamber. They have lied. Labor have lied and Senator Watt has lied about many things with regard to my involvement. They've lied about the penalty rates. In fact, in the federal parliament in 2017 PHON senators voted to restore penalty rates. Further, in the Senate in 2017 Labor stopped PHON, Pauline Hanson's One Nation, from moving an amendment to restore penalty rates that had been removed in deals between union bosses, including Bill Shorten, and multinational companies. There was also the aspersion about asset sales. In fact, I've been the greatest advocate against selling assets. I have been for the last 22 years and I will continue to be. Labor's lies, as they have—