Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Evans. Can the minister advise the Senate on how the government is helping families meet cost-of-living pressures?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Furner for his question and for his ongoing interest in jobs and the support provided to families in this country. Labor is very much focused on the pressure on the family budget to meet the costs associated with daily living and particularly for raising kids and supporting them in their activities. That is why we have been focused on delivering additional support to Australian families.

As senators would be aware, eligible families have already received an initial payment to help with their utility bills. Through the household assistance package the government is delivering payments to more than 1½ million Australian families. Eligible families have already received payments totalling $325 million to assist them with their budgets. We know this is welcome news for them; it is assistance that makes a direct difference to their family budgets. Families who receive family tax benefit A are receiving payments of $110 per child while those families eligible for family tax benefit part B are receiving $69 per child.

The government is determined to do more to help families with the costs associated with sending their kids to school. This week 1.3 million Australian families have started receiving additional financial support through the schoolkids bonus. That bonus has replaced the education tax rebate to make sure that all families who are eligible get assistance. It is a shame that the Liberal opposition has got itself into such a negative position that when the government seeks to assist families with the costs of sending their children to school Senator Abetz and Mr Abbott refuse to support measures designed to directly assist those families. That is where the priorities of those opposite are; they oppose assistance to families to help them meet the costs of sending their kids to school.

Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate of how the government is also supporting pensioners with their cost-of-living pressures, especially utility bills?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After 12 years of the Liberal Party ruling this country this government got in and helped pensioners with a record increase in support. In addition to that, this government through the household assistance package is providing single pensioners with $388 extra a year and couples with $510 a year in increased payments. On top of the record increase we provided, these payments will assist pensioners because we know the increases in their bills mean that they need this assistance. This assistance will be put directly into their bank accounts. It is about making sure that those pensioners do not have a reduction in their standing of living and that they get continued assistance to help them meet the rising costs of living they are facing. This is a government focused on continuing to assist those pensioners.

Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a second supplementary question. Is the minister aware of any risks to the budgets of pensioners?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am aware of risks, and I wonder whether the senators opposite are aware of those risks. The Premier of New South Wales announced last week that he would take away the additional support this government is delivering to 84,000 New South Wales pensioners who live in public housing. We have given them additional support to meet the increased costs they will be facing and New South Wales is saying it is going to take 25 per cent of that assistance away as rent. It is going to rip off those pensioners in public housing and grab the assistance we are providing to them. It is not interested in the welfare of those pensioners. New South Wales senators have to say to us whether they support that. We know the WA Premier tried it on and within two days he walked away because he knew it was unfair and the Western Australian community was not going to cop it. But where are the New South Wales Liberal senators while Barry O'Farrell is ripping money off pensioners that is designed to support them?