Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As the last election result showed in absolutely no uncertain terms, Australians are no fools when it comes to knowing the economic management of this country could not be in better hands than those of the coalition government. The intelligence and intuition of Australians could only be insulted by any suggestion that somehow they got it wrong by making sure Prime Minister Morrison and Treasurer Frydenberg continued to command the nation's economic shift.

It's about time those opposite showed some respect to those Australians and the fact they got it right. With one-third of the budget spent on welfare and the usual cries and intellectually bereft suggestions that the Newstart allowance should be raised simply ignores the fair way in which the Morrison government is managing welfare payments with the highest standards of fiscal responsibility while retaining the sensitivity needed to support those in hardship. The Morrison government is extremely sensitive to the pressing needs of Australians doing it tough, and, as I've said previously, any suggestion to the contrary is pure mischief. But, once again, it's time to correct the public record of our welfare commitments and focus on the facts.

Once again, it's necessary to highlight that the Newstart rate increases every six months. It's boosted in accordance with the CPI. Please take note of this, and perhaps you might want to all write it down using indelible ink: 99 per cent of recipients receive additional payments. Newstart will always be increased by indexation, and that's not going to change. Labor knows full well the recipients are not just receiving Newstart. They know that rental assistance and other measures are also supporting people in challenging circumstances as they seek employment. They know Newstart and youth allowance are often supplemented by a fortnightly energy payment and rental assistance payments. Nineteen per cent of unemployed people receive family payments, and that's just for starters. The Morrison government remains committed to focusing on the key issues—