Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate calls on the Government to drop its ideological attack on young job seekers by withdrawing the budget measure that forces young people under 25 to wait one month before being able to access income support.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This year's budget is seeking to provide a better deal for young people to release them from a life on welfare and to realise their potential. Around one in five young Australians are not fully engaged in either work or study. Particularly worrying are figures that show that young people account for around 30 per cent of long-term unemployed.

The government does not think it is unreasonable to expect job-ready job seekers to complete certain pre-benefit activities, such as attending meetings with their jobactive provider, agreeing to a job plan, developing an up-to-date resume, creating a job-seeker profile and providing evidence of job applications in order to receive a benefit. The government recognises that some people affected by an extended waiting period may require assistance, and therefore we are providing approximately $8.4 million for additional emergency relief services for under-25s affected.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whether you are kicking people off income support for six months or for one month, it is an extremely cruel measure and it ignores the evidence—and I realise the government is an evidence-free zone when it is making these measures. The fact is that keeping people in poverty, which is what you do to young people when you kick them off income support, means they are not able to find work. Poverty has a devastating impact on young people—on anybody—when they are looking for work. This is a counterproductive measure and it is cruel and harsh. It demonises young people as if it is their fault that they cannot find employment. Last year the government said these young people are sitting at home on the couch. Actually, they are not. They want to find work. This will make it harder for young people to find work. It is a counterproductive measure. It is cruel, it is mean, it is demonising and it should be rejected.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Siewert be agreed to.