Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

If I can briefly respond on behalf of the government. The government took a policy position to the last election. The government is serious about its social security legislation to increase employment participation. However, we are aware of the numbers in this place and if this matter were to go to a vote what would occur. On seeking advice from my department in relation to relocation assistance scheme breaches—the situation we are talking about of changing the non-payment period from 12-week to 26 weeks—I understand that, under the existing program, 333 such relocation payments have been made and there have been only three breaches. This means we are dealing, at this stage, with less than one per cent. Given those circumstances, the government is minded to raise the white flag and accept the Labor opposition's amendment on this. We will monitor the situation to see whether or not the breaches blow out beyond the current rate, as indicated by the department, of one per cent. In these circumstances the government will not be opposing the amendment.