Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Attorney-General, Senator Ludwig. Under the government’s proposed flood tax—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The interjections across the chamber from both sides make it impossible to hear the question. Senator Humphries, start again with the clock set again.

Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. My question is to Senator Ludwig. Under the government’s proposed flood tax, people who have received the disaster recovery payment are exempted from paying the tax. What has been the increase in the number of applicants for the disaster recovery payment other than in the areas affected by Cyclone Yasi since the announcement of the flood tax?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Humphries for his question in relation to the flood levy. I see the opposition are starting to warm to it, and we certainly call on them to support it. Australians understand that there is a lot of work ahead to rebuild the flood affected areas of Queensland, that the reconstruction will be difficult and that it will take years to rebuild. This disaster will have significant impacts on the budget—there is no doubting that. The scale of this disaster means that we have had to make difficult decisions. The federal government estimates we will need $5.6 billion to rebuild flood affected regions, with more than $5 billion going on rebuilding essential infrastructure. The natural disaster relief and recovery arrangements provide for the Australian government payment of $1,000 to people who have been affected by the flooding and has been sought by people from Emerald right across South-East Queensland to Brisbane and the like. Approximately 328,000 Australian government disaster recovery payments—the $1,000 for eligible adults and the $400 for children—have been made across Australia, totalling $388 million. It is also worth putting on the record that, in relation to supporting disaster recovery income subsidies, there has been 32,000—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, a point of order directed to relevance: the minister has three seconds to go in his answer. In response to the point of order taken in relation to the last opposition question, when the point was that the minister was asked for a number, you upheld Senator Conroy’s argument that the minister still had some time to go. It is fair enough that a minister can address a question generally, it is fair enough that there can be a degree of preamble, but when the sessional order requires direct relevance and the question asks for a number it cannot be right, Mr President, that at the very end of the answer the minister still has not approached the question. It is not enough for you to say, with respect, Mr President, ‘He still has some time left.’ He has hardly any time left and he has not addressed the question yet.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ludwig, you have three seconds remaining. I draw your attention to the question.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If there is any part of the question that I have not answered already, I will seek the Attorney-General to provide that.

Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will ask if the minister can tell me today the answer to this question: is the minister aware of whether the government has estimated the number of applicants for the disaster recovery payment and, if so, what is the figure? Has the figure been revised since the flood tax was announced and, if so, by how much?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the opposition for their question. The natural disaster relief and recovery arrangements, as I have outlined, include two parts. Approximately 328,717 Australian government disaster recovery payments totalling approximately $388 million have been made across Australia. What that contemplates, firstly, is that those are the payments that have been made to date for those areas across—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Have you estimated a number was the question.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There were two parts to the question: the second part related to the estimated total. This is a demand driven program. Those people who make an application and meet the eligibility criteria receive the payment, which can be $1,000 for individuals and $400 for children in the family. What we now have, unfortunately, is the opposition playing politics with a payment for individuals who have been flood affected right across Queensland. Of course, what that payment is designed to do— (Time expired)

Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Perhaps I could ask an easier question. Will the government introduce safeguards to stop rorting of the disaster recovery payment? If so, what are they?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The payment is made by and through Centrelink. It was announced at the time the payment was announced by the Minister for Human Services, Tanya Plibersek, that strong arrangements had been put in place by Centrelink to ensure that the system would not be defrauded and that compliance procedures would be put in place by Centrelink. Centrelink has longstanding arrangements to ensure the accuracy of payments, that the eligibility criteria are met and that people are provided assistance based on eligibility criteria. Right across South-East Queensland, which has suffered the devastation that has been shown on television and reported in the press, there are many households and families who have lost possessions and lost belongings. These payments are designed to ensure that they can get back on their feet as soon as possible. (Time expired)