Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

That is a complete and utter disgrace, and, as Senator Scarr describes it, it is a disgrace and a shame. In Western Australia we need every able-bodied person who can work and wants to work to be able to work and to be contributing to the workforce. We simply need this policy now. We don't need a half-baked Labor influenced policy from Labor that will provide an extra 2.25 hours per week. We need something far more substantial, and we need it now from the Labor Party.

This is absolutely typical of a pattern that is now emerging from the Labor Party. In the first hundred days they have already broken so many promises. They have delayed making any decisions, instead going through to summits, to reviews. You wonder what they've been doing in opposition when in their first 100 days they don't have a plan. They've got a lot of fabulous rhetoric, but they don't have a plan. There is nothing more concrete and that will provide more benefits and that will be self-funded, after the first few people take up this scheme, than this piece of legislation by Senator Smith. I call on the Labor Party to at least allow hearings on this bill now in the Community Affairs Legislation Committee so that we can hear from the people who will benefit the most from this.

The Liberals will continue to support Senator Smith's legislation. We will continue to advocate for people who are on the pension—veterans pension and age pension—people who have so much to contribute to our nation. But they have roadblocks in the way right now. I commend this bill to this chamber.