Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I just want to explain why the government is moving this motion to have the Social Security Amendment (Australian Government Disaster Repayment Bill) Bill 2023 and the Royal Commissions (Private Sessions) Bill 2023 exempted from the cut-off under standing order 111 to allow these bills to be considered today.

The social security amendment bill seeks to ensure faster and more efficient assessment of online claims for the Australian government disaster recovery payment. The one-off payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child is a helping hand to Australians in the aftermath of major disasters. It allows families to purchase essential items like food and replace damaged household items, clothing, school supplies or toys. It is critical that these changes are in place before the 2023-24 high-risk weather season, which formally starts on 1 October, so that the support for Australian households and families affected by major disasters is delivered quickly.

The royal commission amendment bill will authorise the use of private sessions for a royal commission, to be conducted by assistant commissioners. This will allow individuals to share experiences in trauma informed— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.