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

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 47 standing in my name for today relating to Youth Allowance and Newstart.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

  (i) that the rate of Newstart for single people without children is $555.70 per fortnight,

  (ii) that the Federal Government has taken action to address deeming rates acknowledging that part-pensioners were struggling,

  (iii) that the Salvation Army's 2018 Economic and Social Impact Survey found that after paying for accommodation, Newstart recipients were left with $17 a day,

  (iv) the findings of an analysis by the Australian National University's Professor Peter Whiteford, that Newstart is the second lowest unemployment payment in the OECD if we look at the replacement rate, and

  (v) that the Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot 2019 found there were zero affordable rentals for a single person on Newstart or Youth Allowance in any major Australian city; and

(b) urges the Federal Government to immediately increase the single rate of Newstart and Youth Allowance.

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

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