Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of the Senator McAllister, I move:

(1) That the Senate notes that:

(a) the Department of Social Services recently completed the tender process for grants for the Financial Wellbeing and Capability activity, and began notifying applicants of the results in October and November 2018;

(b) the tender decisions resulted in a number of organisations receiving real cuts to their funding;

(c) these cuts were scheduled to take effect in a matter of weeks; and

(d) over the last fortnight, the Minister for Families and Social Services has back flipped and extended selected organisations' existing funding.

(2) That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Families and Social Services, by no later than 3.30 pm on 4 December 2018, any documents containing the following information:

(a) the list of applicants who were successful in the 2018 tenders for each of the grant programs within the Financial Wellbeing and Capability activity, including the amount of funding received and the service area to which it relates;

(b) any variations or amendments to the tender outcome;

(c) the list of existing grant holders who were unsuccessful or received real cuts in funding in the 2018 tenders for each of the grant programs within the Financial Wellbeing and Capability activity, including the amount of funding lost and the service area to which it related;

(d) the list of organisations who were offered extensions of their existing funding after the conclusion of the 2018 tenders for the Financial Wellbeing and Capability grants, including the amount of funding received, the length of the funding extension, and the service area and grant program to which it relates; and

(e) any correspondence between the Department and the Minister's office relating to paragraphs (a to (d) above.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Liberal-National government has not only maintained funding but increased funding for financial counselling and financial capability grants. Any financial counselling service that received Commonwealth government funding for financial counselling in 2018 and applied to continue the service will receive at least the same level of funding in 2019. The government's strong budgetary position means that we're able to provide additional funding to a number of organisations for the next 12 months, providing funding certainty and continuity of service for the community.

Question agreed to.