Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move Australian Greens requests (1) to (7) on sheet 1969 together.

Leave granted.

I move:

That the House of Representatives be requested to make the following amendments:

(1) Page 3 (after line 23), after Schedule 1, insert:

Schedule 1A — Changes to qualifying age for youth allowance and jobseeker payments

Part 1 — Youth allowance

Social Security Act 1991

1 Paragraph 543B(1)(a)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

2 Subparagraph 543B(1)(b)(iii)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

3 Paragraph 543B(1)(d)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

4 Subsection 1067A(4) (table item 3)

Repeal the item, substitute:

Part 2 — Jobseeker payment

Social Security Act 1991

5 Subparagraph 593(1)(g)(i)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

6 Subparagraph 593(1B)(b)(i)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

7 Subparagraph 593(1D)(b)(i)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

Part 3 — Consequential amendments

Farm Household Support Act 2014

8 Section 7 (paragraph beginning "A person's rate")

Omit "22", substitute "18".

9 Subdivision A of Division 8 of Part 2 (heading)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

10 Subsection 55(1)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

11 Section 56

Omit "22", substitute "18".

12 Section 57

Omit "22", substitute "18".

13 Section 58

Omit "22", substitute "18".

14 Subsection 59(1)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

15 Subsection 59(2)

Omit "22" (wherever occurring), substitute "18".

16 Subsections 59A(1) and (2)

Omit "22" (wherever occurring), substitute "18".

17 Subdivision B of Division 8 of Part 2 (heading)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

18 Subsectio n 60(1)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

19 Section 61

Omit "22", substitute "18".

20 Section 62

Omit "22", substitute "18".

21 Section 63

Omit "22", substitute "18".

22 Section 64

Omit "22", substitute "18".

23 Section 65

Omit "22", substitute "18".

24 Subsections 65A(1) and (2)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

25 Subsection 93(1) (table items 1, 2, 15 and 16, column headed "included a reference to … ")

Omit "22", substitute "18".

26 Section 95 (table item 13A, column headed "apply as if … ")

Omit "22", substitute "18".

Social Security Act 1991

27 Subsections 1061KC(4) and (5)

Omit "22", substitute "18".

Part 4 — Application and transitional provisions

28 Application of amendments

Farm Household Support Act 2014

(1) The amendments of the Farm Household Support Act 2014 made by this Schedule apply in relation to working out the rate of a person's farm household allowance for days occurring on or after 20 September 2023.

Social Security Act 1991

(2) The amendments of sections 543B and 593 of the Social Security Act 1991 made by this Schedule apply for the purposes of working out qualification for a youth allowance or jobseeker payment in respect of days occurring on or after 20 September 2023.

(3) The amendment of subsection 1067A(4) of the Social Security Act 1991 made by this Schedule applies for the purposes of working out a person's eligibility for, or amount of, youth allowance for a day, or fares allowance for a journey on a day, that is on or after 20 September 2023.

(4) The amendments of subsections 1061KC(4) and (5) of the Social Security Act 1991 made by this Schedule apply for the purposes of working out the rate of a person's Disaster Recovery Allowance in respect of days occurring on or after 20 September 2023.

29 Transitional rules

(1) The Ministermay, by legislative instrument, make rules prescribing matters of a transitional nature (including prescribing any saving or application provisions) relating to the amendments or repeals made by this Schedule.

(2) To avoid doubt, the rules may not do the following:

(a) create an offence or civil penalty;

(b) provide powers of:

(i) arrest or detention; or

(ii) entry, search or seizure;

(c) impose a tax;

(d) set an amount to be appropriated from the Consolidated Revenue Fund under an appropriation in this Act;

(e) directly amend the text of this Act.

(2) Schedule 2, Divisions 1 to 5, page 4 (line 4) to page 13 (immediately before line 1), omit the Divisions, substitute:

Division 1 — Disability support pension (under 21)

Social Security Act 1991

1 Point 1066A-B1 (table B)

Repeal the table (not including the notes), substitute:

2 Point 1066B-B1 (table B)

Repeal the table (not including the notes), substitute:

Division 2 — Youth allowance

Social Security Act 1991

3 Point 1067G-B2 (table BA)

Repeal the table (not including the note), substitute:

4 Point 1067G-B3 (table BB)

Repeal the table (not including the note), substitute:

5 Point 1067G-B4 (table BC)

Repeal the table (not including the note), substitute:

Division 3 — Austudy payment

Social Security Act 1991

6 Subpoint 1067L-B2(1) (table BA)

Repeal the table (not including the note), substitute:

7 Point 1067L-B3 (table BB)

Repeal the table, substitute:

Division 4 — Jobseeker payment

Social Security Act 1991

8 Point 1068-B1 (table B)

Repeal the table (not including the notes), substitute:

Division 4A — Parenting payment (single)

Social Security Act 1991

8A Point 1068A-B1

Omit "$21,470.80 per year ($825.80 per fortnight)", substitute "$32,032.00 per year ($1,232.00 per fortnight)".

Division 5 — Parenting payment (partnered)

Social Security Act 1991

9 Point 1068B-C2 (table C)

Repeal the table (not including the notes), substitute:

(3) Schedule 1, item 10, page 13 (line 6), omit "jobseeker payment or" substitute "jobseeker payment, pension PP (single) or".

(4) Page 15 (after line 16), after Schedule 2, insert:

Schedule 2A — Increases to other payments

Part 1 — Crisis payments

Social Secu rity Act 1991

1 Subsection 1061JU(1)

Omit "half".

Part 2 — Age pension, carer payment and disability support pension

Social Security Act 1991

2 Point 1064-B1 (table B)

Repeal the table, substitute:

3 Point 1065-B1 (table B)

Repeal the table, substitute:

Part 3 — Service pension, income support supplement and veteran payment

Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986

4 Point SCH6-B1 (table B-1)

Repeal the table (not including the notes), substitute:

5 Point SCH6-B2 (table B-2)

Repeal the table (note including the notes), substitute:

Part 4 — Application of amendments

6 Application of amendments

Social Security Act 1991

(1) The amendments of the Social Security Act 1991 made by this Schedule apply in relation to working out the rate of a person's crisis payment, age pension or disability support pension for days occurring on or after 20 September 2023.

(2) For the purposes of indexing an amount:

(a) specified in a table of the Social Security Act 1991 as substituted by an item of this Part; and

(b) on the first indexation day for the amount that occurs after the day this item commences;

the current figure for the amount immediately before that first indexation day is taken to be that specified amount.

Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986

(3) The amendments of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 made by this Part apply in relation to working out the rate of a person's service pension, income support supplement or veteran payment for days occurring on or after 20 September 2023.

(4) For the purposes of indexing an amount:

(a) specified in a table of Schedule 6 to the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 as substituted by an item of this Schedule; and

(b) on the first indexation day for the amount that occurs after the day this item commences;

the current figure for the amount immediately before that first indexation day is taken to be that specified amount.

(5) Schedule 3, items 7 and 8, page 16 (line 18) to page 19 (immediately before line 1), omit the items, substitute:

7 Clause 38D of Schedule 1 (table)

Repeal the table, substitute:

8 Clause 38E of Schedule 1 (table)

Repeal the table, substitute:

(6) Schedule 3, items 9 to 14, page 19 (line 2) to page 30 (immediately before line 1), omit the items, substitute:

9 Subsection 1070L(2) (table)

Repeal the table, substitute:

10 Subsection 1070M(2) (table)

Repeal the table, substitute:

11 Subsection 1070N(2) (table)

Repeal the table, substitute:

12 Subsection 1070P(2) (table)

Repeal the table, substitute:

13 Subsection 1070Q(2) (table)

Repeal the table, substitute:

14 Subsection 1070R(2) (table)

Repeal the table, substitute:

(7) Schedule 3, item 18, page 31 (line 5) to page 32 (immediately before line 1), omit the item, substitute:

18 Subpoint SCH6-C8(1) of Schedule 6 (table C-2)

Repeal the table (not including the notes), substitute:

Statement pursuant to the order of the Senate of 26 June 2000

Amendment (1)

Amendment (1) is framed as a request because it amends the bill to expand the class of persons eligible for jobseeker payment by lowering the minimum age of eligibility from 22 to 18. As the effect of this amendment will be that people who were previously eligible to receive youth allowance payment will now be eligible to receive the higher jobseeker payment, it will result in an increase in expenditure under the standing appropriation in section 242 of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and section 105 of the Farm Household Support Act 2014.

Amendment (2)

Amendment (2) is framed as a request because it amends the bill to increase the various maximum basic rate amounts of disability support pension (under 21), youth allowance, farm household allowance, austudy payment, jobseeker payment, parenting payment (single) and parenting payment (partnered). As the effect of this amendment will be that relevant recipients will receive a higher rate of payment, it will result in an increase in expenditure under the standing appropriation in section 242 of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and section 105 of the Farm Household Support Act 2014.

Amendment (3)

Amendment (3) is consequential to amendment (2).

Amendment (4)

Amendment (4) is framed as a request because it amends the bill to increase the various maximum basic rate amounts of crisis payment, age pension, carer payment, disability support pension, service pension, income support supplement and veteran payment. As the effect of this amendment will be that relevant recipients will receive a higher rate of payment, it will result in an increase in expenditure under the standing appropriation in section 242 of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and section 199 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

Amendments (5), (6) and (7)

Amendments (5), (6) and (7) are framed as requests because they amend the bill to increase the maximum rate of rent assistance. As the effect of these amendments will be that relevant recipients will receive a higher rate of payment, it will result in an increase in expenditure under the standing appropriation in section 242 of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, section 105 of the Farm Household Support Act 2014 and section 199 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

Statement by the Clerk of the Senate pursuant to the order of the Senate of 26 June 2000

Amendments (1) (2), (4), (5), (6) and (7)

If the effect of these amendments is to increase expenditure under the standing appropriation in

section 242 of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, section 105 of the Farm Household Support Act 2014 and section 199 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 then it is in accordance with the precedents of the Senate that the amendments be moved as requests.

Amendment (3)

This amendment is consequential on the request. It is the practice of the Senate that an amendment that is consequential on an amendment framed as a request may also be framed as a request.

I talked to these amendments at length yesterday, so I don't want to speak at length about them today. These are our amendments to raise the rate of income support to above the poverty line, to at least $88 a day, so that people who are living on income support can live a life of dignity, can afford to put food on the table, can afford to pay for their medications, can afford to pay for their kids' shoes and can afford to put a roof over their head so that they are not consigned to living in tents or living in cars. I think it is a sign of a decent country that we look after everybody, that we don't leave anybody behind and that people who are living on income support, for whatever reason, have the ability to get by.

These amendments would also reduce the age at which people are considered to be independent and able to receive the full rate of income support, from 21 to 18. It would have a big impact on many people who currently are not able to get student allowance and youth allowance, to be able to receive those benefits. It would make a massive difference to the lives of thousands of young people in Australia today. These amendments would also double the maximum rate of Commonwealth rent assistance from what is being proposed in this bill.

I implore everybody in this place to listen to the community that is absolutely doing it the toughest in this cost-of-living crisis. You cannot survive on JobSeeker. It's not a matter of struggling to survive; you cannot survive on JobSeeker. People on JobSeeker at the moment are only getting by because of charity from charities, friends and family. And the very woefully inadequate amount that's being proposed by the government to lift the rates of JobSeeker, by only $4 a day, is just not going to cut it and is not going to make a difference for people at the moment who are desperately living in poverty.