Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

The government has taken into account the impact of any financial penalties on the wellbeing of the child. These participation plans have been designed to ensure that the child's interests are paramount. Family tax benefit is not affected by these measures, and that ensures that payments directly targeted at family members will continue. It is the income support component that is targeted on this occasion. It needs to be remembered that the whole objective of participation plans is to provide wraparound support for these very vulnerable families. To the extent that some families might continue to breach participation plans, the support and resources of the community associated with those plans will be drawn upon. The removal of income support is meant to be a very last resort. Presumably we would be looking at situations that may involve child protection or other arrangements, if we are talking about family circumstances of the nature Senator Bernardi mentions.