Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for that advice. It is the case that the government made a decision in the 2012-13 budget in relation to a particular group of parenting payment recipients who had been grandfathered in terms of their entitlement.

The senator would be aware that every other person who has entered the parenting payment subsequent to, I think, 1 July 2006 would be on the new arrangements which the government is currently proposing to apply to the cohort which was grandfathered. The government is very aware of the importance of ensuring there are appropriate policy mechanisms to support this cohort. That is why the government has done a range of things both in relation to this group specifically but of course more broadly in relation to supporting people into work.

This government spends more on child care than any government ever has. For example, in addition to our spending through the childcare benefit and childcare rebate, we announced an additional $225 million over five years for the JET program, which the senator I think is aware of, the Jobs, Education and Training Child Care Fee Assistance program which is specifically targeted to people on low incomes and on income support to assist them engaging in the workforce. As the senator would also be aware, the government has provided additional funding for a Schoolkids Bonus which was also announced in the budget, and the government has of course been in office over a period where we have seen some 800,000 jobs created.

We do recognise the issue which has been raised about the adequacy of Newstart and I might come to that in the supplementary question.