Division Description Changes — Bills — Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Seniors Supplement Cessation) Bill 2014, Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 4) Bill 2014, Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Student Measures) Bill 2014; Third Reading — 22nd Oct 2014

Change	Division
representatives vote 2014-10-22#7 Edited by mackay staff on 2014-11-21 17:10:57	Title Description ~~The majority wanted to pass the bills.~~ The majority wanted to pass the bills in the House of Representatives (in parliamentary jargon, they voted to give the bills a [third reading](http://www.peo.gov.au/learning/fact-sheets/making-a-law.html)). The bills will now go to the Senate to see if the senators agree with the members of parliament (MPs) and also want to pass the bills. If they do, the bills will become law. ### What do the bills do? The bills introduce several of the Social Services Portfolio budget measures that the Government hasn't been able to pass yet. The [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Seniors Supplement Cessation) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5356) will get rid of the [senior supplement](http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/seniors-supplement) for people who have a [Commonwealth seniors health card](http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card) or a [veterans’ affairs gold card](http://www.dva.gov.au/benefitsAndServices/health_cards/Pages/gold.aspx) from 20 September 2014 (see the [bills digest](http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1415a/15bd042)). The [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Student Measures) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5308) will allow interest rates to be applied to certain student assistance debts and create a new student start-up loan to replace current student start-up scholarships (see the [bills digest](http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1415a/15bd015)). For an overview of the measures included in the [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 4) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5355), see its [bills digest](http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1415a/15bd049). ### Background to the bills The measures in these bills were originally included in the [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fbillhome%2Fr5273%22) and the [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fbillhome%2Fr5274%22). These bills didn't get beyond the [second reading stage](http://www.peo.gov.au/learning/fact-sheets/making-a-law.html) in the Senate so the Government decided to split the measures into four bills (see ABC's [The World Today](http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2014/s4098085.htm)), including these three.
representatives vote 2014-10-22#7 Edited by mackay staff on 2014-11-21 12:24:23	Title Bills — Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Seniors Supplement Cessation) Bill 2014, Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 4) Bill 2014, Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Student Measures) Bill 2014; Third Reading Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Seniors Supplement Cessation) Bill 2014 and two related bills - Third Reading - Pass the bills Description ~~<p class="speaker">Bronwyn Bishop</p>~~ <p>There being no detailed stage required, in that case, pursuant to the resolution agreed to earlier, the House will now proceed to the third readings of the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Seniors Supplement Cessation) Bill 2014 and two related bills. The question is that these bills be now read a third time.</p> ~~<p>Bills read a third time.</p>~~ The majority wanted to pass the bills.

~~The majority wanted to pass the bills.~~
The majority wanted to pass the bills in the House of Representatives (in parliamentary jargon, they voted to give the bills a [third reading](http://www.peo.gov.au/learning/fact-sheets/making-a-law.html)). The bills will now go to the Senate to see if the senators agree with the members of parliament (MPs) and also want to pass the bills. If they do, the bills will become law.
### What do the bills do?
The bills introduce several of the Social Services Portfolio budget measures that the Government hasn't been able to pass yet.
The [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Seniors Supplement Cessation) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5356) will get rid of the [senior supplement](http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/seniors-supplement) for people who have a [Commonwealth seniors health card](http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card) or a [veterans’ affairs gold card](http://www.dva.gov.au/benefitsAndServices/health_cards/Pages/gold.aspx) from 20 September 2014 (see the [bills digest](http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1415a/15bd042)).
The [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Student Measures) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5308) will allow interest rates to be applied to certain student assistance debts and create a new student start-up loan to replace current student start-up scholarships (see the [bills digest](http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1415a/15bd015)).
For an overview of the measures included in the [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 4) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5355), see its [bills digest](http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1415a/15bd049).
### Background to the bills
The measures in these bills were originally included in the [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fbillhome%2Fr5273%22) and the [Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) Bill 2014](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fbillhome%2Fr5274%22). These bills didn't get beyond the [second reading stage](http://www.peo.gov.au/learning/fact-sheets/making-a-law.html) in the Senate so the Government decided to split the measures into four bills (see ABC's [The World Today](http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2014/s4098085.htm)), including these three.