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

At the request of Senator Bilyk I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) economists, business groups and civil society organisations are calling for a permanent increase to unemployment payments, including the Business Council of Australia, Australian Council of Social Service, Reserve Bank of Australia, Council of Small Business Organisations Australia and Australian Retailers Association;

  (ii) the Coronavirus Supplement is scheduled to cease entirely in December, reducing the base rate of JobSeeker to $565 a fortnight – a rate which is so low it traps people in poverty,

  (iii) the number of people relying on unemployment payments has more than doubled since the beginning of the year, and

  (iv) Government legislation proposes to make people with modest savings wait six months to access JobSeeker Payment, leaving people without a buffer; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

  (i) delay its plans to re-introduce the liquid assets waiting period and dump its legislation to double the waiting period to six months, and

  (ii) permanently increase the rate of JobSeeker so people can afford to live with dignity and pay for the basics they need to get back to work.

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.

Scott Ryan (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

We know that the best way to improve people's livelihoods is to get them back into the workforce. Income support is not a wage replacement but a safety net for people as they look for work. Our focus is on growing the economy to provide job opportunities so that people can move into work. The coronavirus supplement has been put in place temporarily, to recognise the impact the pandemic has had on the jobs market.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) 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.

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

I rise to express the Greens' support for this. I wish that the motion would go further; we actually need to articulate that there needs to be a continuation of the coronavirus supplement because the pandemic isn't over. Therefore, the government is not doing what—

Senator Ruston interjecting—

You're cutting it! You are cutting it! So, while we're supporting it, we think it should go further and say that the supplement needs to be kept on at $550 a fortnight.

Question negatived.