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

I thank the minister for her answer. While I do not disagree with any of the measures that the minister has just outlined in terms of dealing with the long-term issues and the re-engagement, the compact—the minister is probably aware that it is something the Greens have been advocating for a long time—the issues around the Productivity Commission, the referral to a committee and the Henry review are all really good initiatives, but none of them are going to deliver right now.

Some of these initiatives are two or three years down the track—18 months, I think, at best. Even if the Senate committee delivers before that, it will be some time before the government responds. So we are talking about measures that are a couple of years down the track, when the crisis is now. Organisations, charities and not-for-profits are struggling to keep their staff. So many of their staff are walking out the door or retiring, and they cannot find replacements. Try telling the sector when their staff are walking out the door and they are struggling to make ends meet: ‘It’s okay. We’ll fix up your problems in two or three years time.’ I have had anecdotal feedback that for some organisations that will be too late. This may not be the best piece of legislation to deal with this issue, but this is a crisis that needs to be dealt with now, so we should grab what is available—and that is certainly what I have done.

This issue came up in the committee inquiry into the legislation, and the committee review focused on it. This amendment is one way that the government can take pressure off the community sector while it carries out its reviews. The Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration made a recommendation around this issue. I acknowledge that the committee did not say that the issue had to be dealt with straightaway, but the committee raised it as an issue that needed to be dealt with. I think it should be dealt with now and not put off to the never-never. As I said before, we need to provide some short-term relief for this situation, and this amendment is one way of achieving that. I do not resile from the fact that there needs to be work done in the longer term. I said that in my contribution to the debate on the second reading. I also said it last night, and I am saying it now. I acknowledge the work that the government is doing, but it is not enough to deal with the immediate crisis.

I would like to ask the minister: what is the government’s response to the committee’s recommendation on this issue? If I understand the committee’s recommendation properly, they thought it should be dealt with in a shorter time frame than that set out by the minister in these four initiatives.