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

My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. Minister, will you confirm that the government will never make jobseekers have to rely on a JobSeeker payment of just $40 a day again, and, if so, when will you, as a government, move to ensure that there is a permanent increase to the JobSeeker payment?

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

I thank Senator Siewert, very much, for her question and for her absolutely genuine interest in this particular area of government policy. However, what I can say to Senator Siewert is that we still remain very much in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Nobody knows where this is going to end or when it's going to end. I don't think any of us have got a crystal ball. We've only got to look at what happened in Victoria in July. Almost overnight the Australian economy, which had been doing fabulously well to that stage, both economically and in its health response, was plunged back into a level of crisis in one of our states, Victoria. And we saw the devastating consequences that has had on the Victorian community, on the Victorian economy and obviously to the health, the livelihoods and the tragic loss of life that we have seen in Victoria during that time.

Equally, if you look overseas at the moment, there has been absolute devastation wreaked in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere by the acceleration of the spread of this particular virus. So we know we're in the midst of a pandemic, and right now this government is absolutely focused on continuing to provide the types of additional supports that we have promised and we have delivered right from the start of this pandemic. We said that we would stand side by side with Australians who were most impacted by the pandemic, and we've done that through a myriad of measures—through measures that Senator Cash has put in place, measures that Minister Hunt has put in place and measures that I have had responsibility for putting in place. We will continue to respond to the health and economic conditions to make sure that we provide additional supports while we see how this pandemic plays out. So, right now, Senator Siewert, I remain absolutely committed to looking at the economic and health conditions that are before us and making decisions in relation to the welfare, budget and the welfare policy that I administer to make sure that we continue to support Australians through this pandemic.

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

Senator Siewert, a supplementary question?

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

Under what conditions could the minister ever conceive that it would be possible for people to survive on a JobSeeker payment of $40 a day, and I ask again: will you commit that no Australian will ever have to live on that sort of payment ever again?

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

Thank you, once again, Senator Siewert. As you and I both well know, it would be a very rare Australian who only received the base rate of payment. One of the absolutely defining features of Australia's welfare system is the targeted and comprehensive nature of the supports that are in place for Australians, to make sure that those supports are particularly targeted to the needs of the individual—

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

Senator Siewert, on a point of order?

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

I did ask: 'Under what circumstances could the minister ever conceive being able to survive on the JobSeeker payment of $40 a day?' Could you ask the minister to address that specific issue, please?

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

I can't ask the minister to address one part of the question. I've allowed you to remind her of that. You had a second part of the question restating your original one. You reminded the minister of your preference. I'll call her; she has 32 seconds to continue.

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

As I said in my opening sentence in response to your supplementary question, Senator Siewert, there would be very, very few Australians who would be receiving only the base payment for welfare payments. And as you are very well aware, somebody who is on an income support payment who has children is eligible for the maximum amount of family tax benefit, both A and B. People who rent— (Time expired)

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

Senator Siewert, a final supplementary question?

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

Do people who have drawn down on their superannuation have that money counted in the liquid assets test if they apply for the JobSeeker payment?

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

The specific nature of the assets that are held by an individual would be determined by the circumstances of that individual as to whether those assets are considered part of any asset test. In some circumstances the superannuation may be considered in the liquid asset test. However, I would actually point out to this chamber that the fundamental basis of our welfare system has never changed. It remains the same today as it has always been—we are very consistent—and that is that the Australian welfare system expects Australians to rely on and draw down their own resources before they ask the taxpayers of Australia to support them. The taxpayers of Australia, I could probably speak for them, are more than happy to help other Australians, but the basic and fundamental premise that people support themselves first has never changed.