Summary

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The majority voted against a motion introduced by Independent Senator Tim Storer (SA), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Newstart payment has barely increased in real terms in the past 24 years,

(ii) nearly half of Newstart recipients have been on their respective payments for at least two years, and more than 15% for at least five years,

(iii) the Business Council of Australia has stated that 'we need a robust and targeted welfare safety net that ensures displaced workers don't fall into poverty while finding their feet. This could include increasing the inadequate Newstart allowance', and

(iv) a report released in September 2018 by Deloitte Access Economics, commissioned by the Australian Council of Social Service, found that increasing a range of allowance payments, including Newstart, by $75 a week would:

(A) increase the size of the economy by $4 billion a year from an initial injection of $3 billion a year, this being a conservative appraisal of the size and life of the prosperity dividend flowing from the increase,

(B) see the lowest quintile receive 28 times the relative boost to its disposable incomes, providing a tightly targeted fairness impact, with the bulk of relative improvements in disposal incomes overwhelmingly going to Australia's lowest income families, and

(C) increase regional income per head to the least well-off districts across Australia, meaning that regional communities most in need of help would receive it; and

(b) urges the Government to immediately increase Newstart by $75 a week to generate the above prosperity and fairness impacts.

Votes Not passed by a modest majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives No
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 9 Yes 0 No
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Mehreen Faruqi NSW Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Nick McKim Tasmania Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Jordon Steele-John WA Yes
Larissa Waters Queensland Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Australian Labor Party (76% turnout) 0 Yes 19 No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania No
Doug Cameron NSW No
Kim Carr Victoria No
Anthony Chisholm Queensland No
Jacinta Collins Victoria No
Patrick Dodson WA No
Alex Gallacher SA No
Kristina Keneally NSW No
Kimberley Kitching Victoria No
Gavin Marshall Victoria No
Jenny McAllister NSW No
Malarndirri McCarthy NT No
Claire Moore Queensland No
Helen Polley Tasmania No
Louise Pratt WA No
Lisa Singh Tasmania No
David Smith ACT No
Anne Urquhart Tasmania No
Murray Watt Queensland No
Carol Brown Tasmania Absent
Don Farrell SA Absent
Chris Ketter Queensland Absent
Deborah O'Neill NSW Absent
Glenn Sterle WA Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Centre Alliance (100% turnout) 2 Yes 0 No
Stirling Griff SA Yes
Rex Patrick SA Yes
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party No
Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party No
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Absent
Tim Storer SA Independent Yes
Lucy Gichuhi SA Independent No
Steve Martin Tasmania Independent No
Fraser Anning Queensland Katter's Australian Party Absent
David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party No
Liberal National Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
Matthew Canavan Queensland No
James McGrath Queensland Absent
Liberal Party (70% turnout) 0 Yes 16 No
Simon Birmingham SA No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Michaelia Cash WA No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania No
David Fawcett SA No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Jane Hume Victoria No
Jim Molan NSW No
James Paterson Victoria No
Linda Reynolds WA No
Anne Ruston SA No
Zed Seselja ACT No
Dean Smith WA No
Amanda Stoker Queensland No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
Slade Brockman WA Absent
Mathias Cormann WA Absent
Lucy Gichuhi SA Absent
Ian Macdonald Queensland Absent
Marise Payne NSW Absent
Arthur Sinodinos NSW Absent
National Party (67% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
John Williams NSW No
Barry O'Sullivan Queensland Absent
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
Peter Georgiou WA No
Pauline Hanson Queensland Absent
Scott Ryan Victoria President No
Brian Burston NSW United Australia Party Absent
Totals (76% turnout) 12 Yes – 46 No