Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

Let me start by reassuring the Australian people that One Nation has a very strong understanding of the pressures faced by almost a million unemployed throughout the country right this minute. It frightens me to hear that earlier today the government announced that they are bracing for up to 1.4 million unemployed because of this Chinese pandemic. There is a genuine need to use every mechanism possible to avoid people losing their homes and personal possessions, and that's why Senator Roberts and I have backed the Morrison government's emergency measures to safeguard jobs through the JobKeeper program and equally support the additional payment to those jobseekers who have either lost or will lose their incomes. But unemployment benefits are not a permanent stimulus package or measure, which is exactly what the Greens are proposing in this matter of public importance. While I agree that the ordinary Newstart payment should incur an increase of $75 a week, it should also provoke a limit to the time for which people can receive unemployment benefits. It's already unacceptable that this government allows 2.2 million foreign workers into this country to take Australian jobs, while our unemployment numbers skyrocket.

On 27 April this year, we recorded approximately 727,000 unemployed Australians on Newstart allowance, each receiving approximately $282 a week in social security benefits. In light of the coronavirus, this parliament doubled the unemployment payment regardless of whether a person had been jobless for a week or their entire working life. What the Greens are proposing here today is that we permanently double unemployment benefits without a care in the world about how we are going to pay for it. This is socialism at its best. If it's good enough for the Greens and Labor and the coalition to kick farmers off the farm household allowance after four years, why can't we kick the long-term unemployed off Newstart? I'm not suggesting we do this to people over the age of 50, but I am suggesting that we do it to fit and able Australians who think they can live a lifestyle off the back of hardworking Australians.

Mark my words: if you go ahead and permanently double the Newstart allowance, it will only lead to an increase in taxes. There is no other way of paying for it. These are uncosted increases that will only bankrupt this nation and create intergenerational dole bludgers. Before the coronavirus hit Australia, this government shelled out more than $180 billion in social security and welfare a year. That's more than one-third of all government revenue. As the fiscally responsible party in this parliament, One Nation will not support the Greens.