Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Siewert, for the question. One thing that all of us in this chamber can be very pleased about is that our nation has a very good and strong record of having payment arrangements to support people who are in difficult circumstances, often for reasons beyond their control. As I have said before, one of the ways that you can guarantee as a nation that you can provide assistance to fellow Australians when they need it is by having a strong economy and a well-managed budget. We want and will see a continuation of a sustainable welfare system that supports the most vulnerable, that encourages those capable of work or study to do so and that reduces intergenerational welfare dependency.

Newstart is primarily a payment designed to assist people transition through the labour market—