Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I understand we have the opposition's amendments before us. From the government benches, I'm seeking to properly understand them. I know they've made a case for increasing the Work Bonus, but, as I understand it, the first $300 of fortnightly income is not assessed and is not counted under the pension income test, and that any unused part of the Work Bonus can be accrued up to a maximum of $7,800. Can you please explain this, Minister, as I'm keen to understand how the accrual works. I know that we're really keen, for example, to see people being able to make the most of seasonal work. We have the great privilege here in this place of being served by the amazing Comcar workforce. Many of those people are retirees and some of them pensioners. So, I'm interested to understand the time over which you can accrue that in terms of using it up. Clearly people want to save money. They don't just want to accrue a maximum of $7,800; they also want to be able to spend that money, or to save it—and they don't want to max out. So, I'm interested to know, in the context of this bill—and if we've got an understanding of what the opposition understands—the time period for that accrual.