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

To conclude my contribution on these disallowances: these instruments need to be viewed in the context of the impact their implementation will have on the whole system, which has a very compliance focused, punitive approach. Where jobseekers are extremely stressed, their relationship with and trust of their employment service provider or consultant is being eroded even further, because of the impact of the targeted compliance framework. Job service providers and employment consultants are now being seen as the ones who have to enforce the compliance system, to the point where I've heard job service providers and peak organisations in the jobactive inquiry, for which we had the first hearing two weeks ago, express concern that they are now the enforcers of the system and that that is eroding the trust with their clients. We need to look at the changes that the delegated instruments will implement within the system. We are extremely concerned about the impact these changes will have on jobseekers and the discretion that they provide employment consultants in the way they make judgements around job searches. That's one of the delegated instruments. The other deals with reasonable excuses. We're extremely concerned that this will have a detrimental impact on jobseekers. Those with addictions are going to find it extremely difficult.