Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

They sit under the Home Affairs portfolio. If there is further information that I can update the Senate on more broadly across the Home Affairs portfolio, I will do so. In terms of how it has made its way, I think we have been very clear that this is a decision of government. There is an issue that had been identified, we took advice on how to respond to it, and the response was that we should look at a legislative response that allows, in very specific and very targeted circumstances, the use of a benefit restriction notice. That was drafted on instructions from the Minister for Social Services on 24 October, which led to the drafting of these amendments which were then inserted into a bill that was before the parliament. The reason we did that is that we wanted to make this power available at soon as possible once the problem had been identified, and this was the fastest way to do that.