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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I will take that as: 'No, there has not been any modelling of the impact of growing inequality.' It is interesting that the minister mentions the growing budget deficit. When you look at ACOSS's report today, it shows that in fact payments such as Newstart, family tax benefits and DSP are growing far more slowly than other government spending, yet these are the payments that the government apparently are targeting for cuts. How do you justify cutting these payments when in fact they are not growing as fast as you—the government—make out?