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

Well, here we go. As I foresaw and mentioned in the chamber earlier today, the government is trotting out the same old tripe: 'It's only a transitional payment.' Forty-four per cent of people on Newstart are on it for longer than two years, 15 percent for longer than five years. That is an old trope you keep using and it is ridiculous. At least come up with new lines for why you're not going to increase Newstart: 'We just don't care, in fact so much so that we're going to give $95 billion to the wealthy people in this country rather than increasing Newstart.' As for the opposition, have some guts! Say, 'We actually need to raise Newstart.' Don't call for a review. Just support an increase in Newstart so people aren't living in poverty.