Senate debates

Monday, 22 September 2014

Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers

Budget

3:25 pm

Photo of Chris KetterChris Ketter (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to make a contribution in answer to a question I asked of Senator Fifield on some of the harshest budget measures we have seen for many years. I asked Senator Fifield, in relation to a number of the government's harsh cuts to families, pensioners and job seekers, whether the government is planning to scrap some of these changes in light of recent media reports.

I mentioned reports yesterday but today also we see a report in The Australian Financial Review under the heading, 'Reforms to be ditched.' I noted Senator Fifield's response to my question. His answer was that the government remains committed to the social-welfare measures contained in the budget, which is a very disappointing response. His answer appears to be quite at odds with the speculation, in the media, about discussions that have taken place with the crossbenchers on some of these more serious social-welfare changes.

There is some speculation that the government may split the bills in order to get some of those through the Senate. This is an indication that this government is totally out of step with what the community wants. It is finally being brought to realisation that the community has rejected these harsh and unfair budget measures, and there is hopefully going to be some recognition of that in this place.

There are harsh cuts to pensions, young job seekers are being penalised and there is the axing of the family tax benefit. These are things that people did not vote for. The Abbott government's cuts include cutting families from the family tax benefit B when their youngest child turns six, freezing payment rates for family tax benefits, slashing the family tax benefit end-of-year supplements and ceasing indexation, and we have already seen the killing of the schoolkids bonus.

Due to this government's cuts to family payments and the schoolkids bonus, a single-income family on $65,000 will be around $6,000 a year worse off by 2016. This government has misled the Australian people on Medicare, pensions and 'no new taxes'. Families will now have their family tax benefit payments reduced at the same time as a new GP tax and petrol tax are introduced.

The position of Labor is that this budget contains some of the harshest welfare measures in our nation's history. We say the bill would lead many Australians to be worse off, and this includes some of Australia's most vulnerable people. Our position is that Australia's fiscal position remains fundamentally strong. We do not accept that Australia's fiscal position warrants such dramatic cuts to low-income Australians.

I have touched on a number of areas that I raised in my question. I also would like to bring to the attention of the Senate that I have been approached by the Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans, ACRATH. They have expressed some concerns about 'collateral damage' of people who are victims of slavery and human trafficking in our country who would be unintended victims of the measure that relates to the special benefit If passed, individuals under 30 on the special benefit will become subject to a six-month exclusion period similar to that proposed for job seekers on Newstart. ACRATH have spoken with the government. We hope the government will be reconsidering this position as well. We understand there may be a compromise under consideration here where the six-month waiting period might be reduced to one month but in reality, there should be no waiting period for people in the extreme circumstances involved in human trafficking and for migrant victims of domestic violence. I place on record my voice and urge the government— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.