Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator. I take that as a great compliment—that, with all the resources available to the government, the government senator needs to ask the opposition about the detail of how the existing social security income support mechanism works in our country! That is the first point. The second point is that that question was two minutes and 20 seconds in length. In the parliament we call that filibustering; we don't call that a question. In my contribution earlier today I said that the government was lukewarm, half-hearted, about wanting to improve the circumstances facing older Australians and was lukewarm, half-hearted, in wanting to correct labour shortage issues in our country. You saw it for yourself. You're witnessing it for yourself. We can deal with this very quickly.

The government can add it to its bill. And, by the time we leave this parliament tonight, older Australians will be given a clear way of combating escalating cost-of-living increases. In addition to that, many small businesses across our country will have an immediate answer to some of the most pressing economic needs that they are facing. Instead, the government and its senators want to delay the vote that would put this into the law now. Senator Pratt, well-supported by advisers from the government, knows the answers to the questions she's asking me. I encourage her and I encourage Senator Farrell and Senator Polley—and I thank Senator Rice for her contribution—the time is now to make life easier for older Australians and small businesses.