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

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) data released by the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business shows that nearly four in five jobactive participants have had their payments suspended at least once in the last 12 months,

  (ii) jobactive participants often have their payments suspended for reasons out of their control including administrative errors by employment service providers,

  (iii) jobactive participants are living on unemployment payments as low as $277 a week and should not be subject to unfair payment suspensions, and

  (iv) poverty is a barrier to employment and suspending income support payments does not help people gain employment,

(b) expresses concern that jobactive participants can face payment suspensions due to administrative errors by employment service providers with no recourse to Centrelink; and

(c) calls on the Federal Government to:

  (i) implement the recommendations contained in the report of the Education and Employment References Committee into Jobactive: failing those it is intended to serve, tabled on 14 February 2019, and

  (ii) abandon the Targeted Compliance Framework.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move an amendment to general business notice of motion No. 92 moved by Senator Siewert.

Leave granted.

I move:

Paragraph (c)(ii), after "abandon" add "its punitive approach to".

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government strongly believes in mutual obligation. The Targeted Compliance Framework, or TCF, is working. It's simpler and easier for jobseekers to understand and take control of their requirements. In the year following its implementation, there was an approximate 90 per cent reduction in financial penalties compared to the old framework. If a jobseeker commits a mutual obligation failure, their payment is suspended until they re-engage with their employment service provider. If the provider assesses they have a valid reason, they will not accrue any demerits.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment moved by Senator Pratt to general business notice of motion No. 92 be agreed to.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 92 standing in the name of Senator Siewert be agreed to.