Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Safety Net) Bill 2023

The majority voted against amendments (1) to (3) and (4) to (6), introduced by ACT Senator David Pocock (Independent), which means they failed.

What did these amendments do?

Victorian Senator Janet Rice (Greens) explained that:

... the government is only increasing the parenting payment single until a child is aged 14, leaving 18,290 single parents currently without access to the payment based on the latest available data. We are concerned, as I know are the advocates. We know that the needs of single-parent families don't go away when their children turn 14. Some of those parents are already engaging in the workforce well before their children being 14. They might be working part-time, so are using the parenting payment single to top up the income coming into the household so they can afford to live. Any of us who have had teenage children aged between 14 and 16, or who are thinking of the struggles of being a single parent with children aged between 14 and 16, know the need for this support is still there. The amendments moved by Senator Pocock and I would reinstate the measure to the way it was before former Prime Minister Howard changed it back to eight.

The other measure in these amendments is to bring forward the date of implementation. I hear what the minister says—that 20 September is the earliest the department could do it. Frankly, I don't accept that. Frankly, we have a situation of this incredible cut-off that potentially could have been solved by having some level of temporary payment. There were all sorts of measures that could have been brought into play to bridge that gap so that families with kids turning eight after 1 July would be able to access the payment immediately rather than having to wait for 20 September.

Amendment text

(1) Schedule 1, item 1, page 3 (line 6), omit "14", substitute "16".

(2) Schedule 1, item 2, page 3 (line 8), omit "14", substitute "16".

(3) Schedule 1, item 3, page 3 (line 10), omit "14", substitute "16".

(4) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 15), omit "20 September 2023", substitute "the commencement of this item".

(5) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 19), omit "20 September 2023", substitute "the commencement of this item".

(6) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 23), omit "20 September 2023", substitute "the commencement of this item".