Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. At a forum held in Murray Bridge on 2 October, the minister argued against the need for an increase to Newstart, saying:

… all it would do is give drug dealers more money and give pubs more money.

The minister claims the reporting is misleading, but the chief executive officer of the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children, Terese Edwards, who attended the forum, labelled the comments as 'deplorable'. Who is telling the truth, Minister—you, or Ms Edwards?