My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Social Services, Senator Gallagher. According to the recent report into income support mortality outcomes, at least 3,000 more unemployed Australians die each year than would have had your government not kept them in poverty. That means that over the four years of your government 12,000 Australians have died from preventable, poverty induced deaths because Labor has deliberately kept social security payments below the poverty line.

Meanwhile, the Prosper Australia Research Institute just released a report showing that Australia could rake in $45 billion more each year if we adequately valued and taxed our resources. Minister, why is Labor choosing to protect a handful of giant gas exporters instead of raising the revenue that would provide a genuine safety net and end poverty deaths in Australia?

I thank Senator Allman-Payne for the question. I haven't read the report that Senator Allman-Payne refers to, so I can't comment on the numbers that she cites in her question. What I can say is that, under this government, we have created 1.3 million jobs across the economy. We believe, in the Labor Party, that a job is more than just an income; it's about dignity, a sense of connection to the community, and self-esteem. We are the party of job creation, and we have focused investments and resources into ensuring that jobs—and good, secure jobs—are created and that those good, secure jobs are paid well. In fact, when those opposite complain about spending, a significant amount of spending and new investment this government has made has been into increasing wages of the lowest paid in this economy. Twenty-five billion dollars are going into increasing the wages of those workers who have been undervalued and underpaid for way too long.

In relation to your question on JobSeeker, since coming to government, the rate of JobSeeker has risen by more than $4,700 a year for a single, no dependent, individual. That means it has increased by $182 per fortnight, from $651 per fortnight to $833 per fortnight. We have also increased the rates of youth allowance, Austudy, Commonwealth rent assistance, and single parenting payment—for those, to extend it to children of higher ages. We have also provided significant support to the community sector and organisations who support— (Time expired)

Senator Allman-Payne, first supplementary?

If this Labor government simply chose to tax gas exports at 25 per cent, we could raise $17 billion a year to go towards public housing, affordable groceries and social security. Minister, knowing that your government could choose to end poverty if it chose to, how is it acceptable that you continue to allow income support recipients to die from government-induced poverty?

I don't accept the last proposition that Senator Allman-Payne put in her question. Also, I know it's convenient for the Greens to link taxes on resources with a whole range of other commitments they want to make in a whole range of other areas—including, seemingly, a commitment to end public funding of the private health insurance rebate, until a piece of legislation came here that Senator Allman-Payne decided they didn't support anymore. Our position—we will deal with those issues separately; we don't conflate the two. And, as I said in my last answer, we have increased significantly, over and above indexation, a range of payments for those on income support.

Senator Allman-Payne, second supplementary?

Minister, the Reserve Bank governor has admitted that the Australian economy requires a level of unemployment to keep downward pressure on inflation. Given that unemployment is baked into the economy, how can the government defend letting people on poverty-level welfare payments die at almost 10 times the rate of everyone else?

I think the issues around—I don't agree with the assertion in Senator Allman-Payne's question; that's the first point. The second point is that we have significantly increased pensions and payments in our time in government, but not only that; we have also focused on job creation to ensure that there is opportunity for people to move into work. We are reforming the employment support program in recognition of some of the issues there. We have increased funding—directly intervened to increase funding—for workers on the lowest paid wages, whether it be the minimum wage or those in the care economy. We have had a range of other measures in place, like in the childcare system, to support those on low incomes to access child care. We got rid of the activity test. We've done a range of things, Senator Allman-Payne. So I don't accept your question at all.