Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation and the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Wong. Noting the comments of Senator Cameron this morning, agreeing with the Greens, that Australian children are being forced into poverty because of the government's decision to move single parents from single parent to Newstart, can the minister confirm reports that the government has ruled out increasing Newstart by $50 a week and reversing the cuts to single parents in the upcoming budget; and, if so, can the minister explain how this decision represents the Labor values so eloquently described by Senator Cameron?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are a party that believes in fairness and opportunity. Unlike the Greens, we also understand that you have to grow the economy if you are to deliver the sorts of fairness and opportunity that this government is delivering. Whilst I suspect Senator Milne may not like to be reminded: this is an economy that is 13 per cent bigger than it was prior to the global financial crisis—there is not a lot of fairness in economies which are still smaller than they were prior to the GFC, economies which are still struggling to get back to the same size. More importantly, economies with double-digit unemployment—

Senator Brandis interjecting—

I will take the interjection, because the suggestion is from the economic Luddite opposite that somehow Australia is akin to Greece. The talking down of the economy is from Senator Brandis who believes pomposity equates to intelligence. It does not: pomposity does not equate to intelligence. What he might like to be reminded of is the 800,000 jobs that have been created since we were elected at a time when millions and millions of people worldwide had lost their jobs. If you want to look at what flies absolutely in the face of fairness, what increases poverty and inequity, it is high levels of unemployment. That is why we on this side have made jobs and economic growth a priority.

In terms of taxation and those issues that were alluded to in the first part of the question, I would make this point: this government has made tax relief, particularly for working people in this country, a priority.

Senator Abetz interjecting—

Senator Abetz might like to joke about this— (Time expired)

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask a supplementary question, Mr President. I notice that the minister has not answered the question about whether she is ruling out increasing Newstart by $50 a week in the budget, but I ask: according to Senator Cameron, referencing former Prime Minister Bob Hawke that it is a Labor aspiration that no child should live in poverty, will the government be supporting the Greens' Caring for Single Parents Bill, to be introduced today, providing for a $40-a-week increase in payments for single parents on Newstart and increasing the income test, allowing single parents to earn more before their payments are reduced?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to the legislation, I suspect Senator Milne knows what the government's position is on that. I was part way through reminding the Senate of the tax reforms this government has put in place which benefit lower-income Australians—all Australians earning up to $80,000 a year, particularly Australians who are part-time workers, the majority of whom are women, who have benefited by this government's tripling of the tax-free threshold. I would also remind the chamber that that is to be repealed should Tony Abbott ever become prime minister.

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

You need to refer to people in the other place by their correct title.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Should Mr Abbott ever become prime minister—this says something about his values—his priority is to increase taxes on low-paid Australians. That is his priority.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nonsense.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not nonsense, Senator Abetz. Mr Hockey has already announced that. It might have passed you by in shadow cabinet but that is actually your policy. (Time expired)

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a further supplementary question. Given the obvious division within the Labor caucus on this issue, with members of the party like Senator Cameron attempting to show a caring side of a government that is refusing to stand up to the mining companies to pay a decent amount so we can meet welfare payments, is the minister aware of any other Labor senators in addition to Senator Cameron who are prepared to cross the floor to put their words into actions to support the Greens' bill to increase Newstart by $50 a week and reverse the cuts to single parents made by Howard's welfare to work laws?

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

The minister can only answer that question in so much as it pertains to the portfolios.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I suspect that from the question someone might be of the view that Senator Milne was more interested in posturing than actually getting an outcome. That is obviously a matter of opinion. What I would say is that people in the Labor caucus have strong views on issues of fairness. That is because we are a party that is at its core concerned with fairness and opportunity. There are always robust policy debates inside the Labor Party on how best to achieve that but those are our values. In government what we have delivered are a tax system and an economy which far more reward people who are earning at the lower and middle income levels rather than those at the higher income level. We have been accused of class warfare by the other side. The other side have said this is dreadful. I think it is fairness and I think it is Labor values— (Time expired)