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

I move Greens amendment (11) to schedule 4 on sheet 7462:

(11) Schedule 4, page 17 (line 1) to page 22 (line 22), to be opposed.

This schedule relates to the period of Australian working life residence. It changes the period for pensioners who were born overseas and their period of working life in Australia. I was contacted by a number of people who were concerned about this measure and the impact it may have on them. We are concerned that it is changing the rules. Therefore, given the impact it potentially has on people who have been working for a significant period of time, particularly as we know how hard it is for older Australians to find work, we believe this represents an extra degree of uncertainty for pensioners and that it has an unfair impact on older Australians who have been working here a significant period of time and made a significant contribution to our economy. So we do not support this amendment to the legislation. We oppose this measure and seek to delete it from the package which, as I said, makes up this omnibus bill.