Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate Senator Rice's comments. I note that they are not particularly relevant to this particular piece of legislation, but can I say that the Albanese Labor government is deeply committed to building a welfare and social security system that is a strong safety net that protects vulnerable Australians and doesn't stigmatise anyone for needing income support. The government knows that those who are receiving income support are facing cost-of-living pressures, and that is why we are acting to provide relief across the government. This month has seen the largest indexation increases to government allowance in this country in more than 30 years, seeing 4.7 million Australians receive a much-needed boost to their payment, including to JobSeeker.