Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Menzies for his question. I will get the specifics worked out for him but I am very pleased to be able to inform the Committee that the legislation for the new Work Bonus went through the Senate yesterday. The government is very pleased that it is able to offer age pensioners more support—certainly more support than ever even dreamt of by the previous, Howard government. In addition to the new work bonus that will enable age pensioners who want to get some employment income to keep more of that income, this government delivered the most significant increases to the pension in the last 100 years and introduced a new form of indexation to ensure that the pension keeps up with the cost of living for older Australians who rely on it. These changes were never introduced by the previous, Liberal government. The value of the pension did not reflect the increases in the cost of living that pensioners faced. It was up to this government to introduce a new cost-of-living index for pensioners. That now applies and has resulted in the delivery of higher increases to the pension through indexation. It was also this government that improved the wage cost index relationship for the pension, which once again is something that is benefiting pensioners. I am very pleased that the new work bonus has proceeded through the parliament. We made a commitment to it in the election campaign and it will be delivered from 1 July—in a couple of weeks time. I will get the specifics worked out for the member for Menzies.

While I am on my feet, I would like to highlight some of the other major initiatives in this budget for families, seniors, people with disabilities and their carers, people with mental health issues and very vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians. This budget really does deliver very significantly for all of those groups. In addition to the new work bonus passing through the parliament yesterday, I am very pleased to inform the Committee that legislation fulfilling our commitment to parents with older teenagers has passed through the parliament. For teenagers and parents of teenagers this too is a very, very significant improvement. One of the very important changes that we have tied to the increase in family payments for teenagers is the requirement that those teenagers must be in school or equivalent vocational education. It has passed through the parliament and is funded in this budget. It is, once again, an election commitment that the government made and has carried out. It is one that we are very proud of.

The bill that passed yesterday brought into force another election commitment that will benefit families, and that is improved and more generous advances. We know that, especially for those families who are doing it very tough and find it difficult to manage their finances fortnight to fortnight, there are occasions when families need extra money. It might be due to the fridge or the car breaking down. These advances can certainly be very important for those families, so I am very pleased that the legislation passed through the parliament yesterday—another election commitment delivered by this government.

See this speech in context