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

My question is to Minister Wong, representing the Treasurer. My question concerns the budget announcement that people trying to survive on Newstart and other allowances will receive $210 a year supplementary allowance, which equates to less than $4 a week, raises Newstart to $248 a week and leaves recipients $126 below the poverty line. What evidence does the government have that a person can support themselves on $248 per week? What were the policy and economic factors that the government used to arrive at the sum of $210 per year, and who undertook the modelling underpinning that policy decision?