Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, I think your answer goes to the biggest issue that we have in relation to social security, which is that, yes, this system continues to operate unlawfully. At the last few estimates, neither the minister nor the department has been able to assure me or the other senators asking questions or the public that the system is actually operating lawfully in its entirety. I take your point that this bill seeks to address some of the unlawfulness of the system, but surely, given the government has a social security bill before the parliament, this is an opportunity to address the adequacy of payments.

Whilst I note your statement that the government has increased payments somewhat, I really want to place on the record again that it is nowhere near what your own Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has recommended for consecutive years. People in this country are still living well below the poverty line. One in six children are living in poverty. Women are not able to escape family and domestic violence because they are subjected to a partner income test, which we just had an amendment for in the second reading and you voted down. Is it the government's position that income support payments right now, in the current context, are adequate?