Rachel Siewert WA, Australian Greens
4:08 pm
I move:
That the Senate—
(a) notes that:
(i) before the temporary coronavirus supplement was introduced, job seekers in Australia were forced to survive on $40 a day, and
(ii) returning the Jobseeker Payment to the old rate of $40 a day will condemn unemployed Australians to poverty and will act as a barrier to employment,
(b) agrees with the Treasurer that we must ensure that Australia's social safety net is underpinned by a sense of decency and fairness; and
(c) calls on the Government to retain the new rate of Jobseeker Payment of $1115 a fortnight to ensure no one is forced to live in poverty.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
I seek leave to make a short statement.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Labor will not be supporting this motion. We have moved our own, which calls on the government to permanently increase the rate of JobSeeker payment and not to go back to the precoronavirus rate, which was simply too low. But it is important to note that this proposal would mean people on JobSeeker payment would receive a higher base payment than people on the aged pension, DSP and carer payment.
Question negatived.
Rachel Siewert WA, Australian Greens
4:09 pm
by leave—Mr President, under the standing orders I ask that the Greens be recorded as supporting the motion.