Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I'm not quite sure I clearly heard what you asked me and I don't want to mislead you with my response. But, if I'm correct in hearing it, the amendment that the Greens have put forward in relation to the meaning of 'employment' would limit the flexibility to apportion income for the benefit of the recipient, because it could only be apportioned over the period for which it was earned. The proposed amendment refers to income earned. That is what is problematic, as we are very clear about the reporting being what is paid and we're very clear that we don't want any confusion around the terminology that's used here—'earned' is not 'paid', necessarily. We want to be very clear that we're talking about money paid to an individual and the discretion of the secretary to be able to apportion the amount of money that a person has actually received over the appropriate period in which it has been earned. I hope that made sense.