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

My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. Last week in this chamber I asked about the emergency relief for young people who will be left without income support for six months under the 'earn or learn' measure. The Assistant Minister for Social Services said that this government makes no apologies for directing $229 million to ER, because it is adding to the social security safety net. Then, this government has cut $240 million out of the discretionary grants program in social security, not because of clear duplication, but because it was 'a decision of government'. Is it correct that the program savings, which are now largely being redirected to ER to offset the government's cruel budget measures, were found by simply pulling the existing funding and cutting an arbitrary amount from those discretionary grants? And how does the minister justify cutting this discretionary grants program, and with it a wide range of preventative programs, that would in fact help young people get a better start in life.