Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. Could the minister live on the Newstart rate of $40 a day?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. First of all, can I say that nobody is saying that it would be easy to live on Newstart. That's why the coalition's policy in relation to Newstart is one that has been entirely focused on job creation and creating pathways to a job. The one thing that this government will absolutely commit to, to anybody who is on Newstart and anybody who has not got a job, that we will, as a government, work our absolute hardest—

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

On a point of order, Senator Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance. The question was very simple: could the minister live on $40 a day?

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

You've reminded the minister of the question. I remind ministers they must be directly relevant, which is a tighter test than previously existed with just the word 'relevant'. I'm listening very carefully to the minister—I know you are, too, Senator Watt. I call the minister to continue.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No-one has ever said that it would be easy to live without a job. But that is why this government is so focused on job creation, but not just job creation. Our track record on job creation stands for itself: 1.3 million jobs in the last term of this government, and a plan to create another 1.25 million into the future. But we are also creating the pathways so that people who are looking for a job will be able to access the jobs that are created. Through my colleague, the Minister for Employment, Minister Cash, and through her jobactive services, and also through my area of Disability Employment Services—and last week I explained some of the fantastic things that we're doing with disability employment—this government is absolutely focused on creating jobs and creating pathways to jobs so that—

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

Order! Senator Watt on a point of order.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance. The question is very simple and the minister is going nowhere near it: could the minister live on $40 a day—yes, no, maybe? We haven't gone anywhere near it.

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

On that point, I cannot instruct a minister how to answer a question. The question was quite specific and it is difficult to rule material extraneous to such an answer, but I do call the minister and say that direct relevance is a stricter test than relevance, and there has been some time for context, so I ask the minister to turn to the question. But I remind senators I cannot instruct a minister how to answer a question, and that includes whether a one-word answer would be appropriate.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will reiterate: no-one has ever said it would be easy to live without a job.

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

Senator Ayres, a supplementary question.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Consistent with her views on the age pension, does the minister consider $40 a day generous?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said in my answer to the original question, it would not be easy to live on Newstart, and neither would it be easy to live without a job. And that is why this government remains so tremendously focused on job creation and creating pathways for people who want a job to be able to get a job.

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

Senator Ayres, a final supplementary question.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In an article entitled 'Nats defy PM over Newstart increase', it is revealed that last Monday, National MPs requested the party's parliamentary policy committee review the economic impact of raising Newstart. Has the government undertaken any economic modelling of the economic impact of raising Newstart? If so, will the minister undertake to provide it to her coalition colleagues?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We haven't made any particular promises, but what I can say is the coalition's policy in relation to this matter has not changed.