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

The Greens will be supporting this amendment. We have an amendment, which I will move later, that increases the supplement to the original $550. In the meantime we will support the $250 amendment.

During estimates, Minister, you and others made claims that the coronavirus supplement at the higher rate was a disincentive to people finding work. At the Senate inquiry into the bill, Professor Jeff Borland gave evidence to the committee that there was no evidence that the coronavirus supplement had acted as a disincentive for people to move into employment. These are two conflicting pieces of evidence that have been received at estimates and through the Senate inquiry into the bill. Firstly, can you provide the evidence you said you would provide us, that's beyond anecdotal evidence? Secondly, do you acknowledge that the supplement in fact doesn't act as a disincentive for people who are looking for work?