Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister Watt. This week is Anti-Poverty Week, a week to raise awareness and take action to eradicate poverty. Right now, there are millions of people on income support living below the poverty line who are forced to complete mutual obligations or risk losing their income. Recently the Guardian reported that a taxpayer-funded course run by WISE Employment, one of Australia's biggest employment service providers, gives jobseekers instructions on how to shower properly and asks them in a questionnaire if the reason they are unemployed is that they are 'overweight' or 'lazy'. Minister, do you think it's acceptable that people surviving on less than $54 a day are forced to fulfil these degrading and pointless activities or risk their payments being suspended?