Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Roberts for those comments, for those remarks and for those questions. The Treasurer does have wideranging temporary discretion. The discretion for Senator Ruston in the legislation we passed a few weeks ago is also temporary. It's to respond to unforeseen circumstances. Of course, we will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We do want to ensure that those Australians who need support can get appropriate levels of support. Even as issues emerge which require our attention, we will have the flexibility under that rule-making power to respond to any such circumstances.

In terms of scrutiny, there will be the opportunity for the Senate select committee to scrutinise the government's response. It has some very wideranging terms of reference on the government's responses, both on the health front and on the economic front. I know that Senator Roberts has nominated to be a participating senator on that committee, and I would encourage him to pursue all of the issues of concern to him and to One Nation through that process.