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

Yes, noting that you may wish to put the question separately. But I just want to move another amendment. I move the amendment on sheet 3734, in relation to indexation of urgent payments and the upper limit:

(1) Schedule 2, item 10, page 14 (after line 29), after section 43A, insert:

43B Indexation of urgent payment request upper limit

(1) On the first 1 July to occur after the commencement of this section and each later 1 July (an indexation day), the amount of $200 mentioned in paragraph 43(3DB)(a) (the indexable amount) is replaced by the amount worked out using the following formula:

The indexable amount immediately before the indexation day x Indexation factor for the indexation day

(2) The amount worked out under subsection (1) is to be rounded to the nearest whole dollar (rounding 50 cents upwards).

Indexation factor

(3) The indexation factor for an indexation day is the number worked out using the following formula:

Index number for the reference quarter / Index number for the base quarter

where:

base quarter means the last March quarter before the reference quarter.

index number, for a quarter, means the All Groups Consumer Price Index number (being the weighted average of the 8 capital cities) published by the Australian Statistician for that quarter.

March quarter means a period of 3 months starting on 1 January.

reference quarter means the last March quarter before the indexation day.

(4) The indexation factor is to be worked out to 3 decimal places (rounding up if the fourth decimal place is 5 or more).

Changes to CPI index reference period and publication of substituted index numbers

(5) Amounts are to be worked out under this section:

(a) using only the index numbers published in terms of the most recently published index reference period for the Consumer Price Index; and

(b) disregarding index numbers published in substitution for previously published index numbers (except where the substitution is to transition to a new index reference period).

Publication of indexable amount

(6) The Minister must, by notifiable instrument, publish the replacement indexable amount as soon as practicable after the indexation day. However, a failure by the Minister to do so does not invalidate the indexation.

Minister, the reason that I'm moving this amendment is that if my previous amendment that I have moved fails—that is, if the government does not accept there should be an upper limit—then, consistent with advocates, including Economic Justice Australia, it's the Greens' position that that upper should be indexed. I note that Economic Justice Australia said in their submission:

… the Bill does not contemplate indexation of this limit. If an upper limit must be placed on requests, that limit should be indexed to account for inflation.

We've already heard the Treasurer say that we are looking at very high inflation, so I would suggest that this is quite urgent. Without making this change, further legislative work will be needed when $200 is no longer relevant. Given the extent of legislative change that is going to be required just to make the social security law lawful across the board—I've already spoken about the fact that there are 144 items outstanding—my submission to you is that this would save legislative work going forward. So my question is: if the government insists on having an upper limit of $200, do you accept that, at the very least, that limit should be indexed to keep pace with inflation?