Summary

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The majority voted against a motion introduced by WA Senator Rachel Siewert (Greens), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) data released by the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business shows that nearly four in five jobactive participants have had their payments suspended at least once in the last 12 months,

(ii) jobactive participants often have their payments suspended for reasons out of their control including administrative errors by employment service providers,

(iii) jobactive participants are living on unemployment payments as low as $277 a week and should not be subject to unfair payment suspensions, and

(iv) poverty is a barrier to employment and suspending income support payments does not help people gain employment,

(b) expresses concern that jobactive participants can face payment suspensions due to administrative errors by employment service providers with no recourse to Centrelink; and

(c) calls on the Federal Government to:

(i) implement the recommendations contained in the report of the Education and Employment References Committee into Jobactive: failing those it is intended to serve, tabled on 14 February 2019, and

(ii) abandon the Targeted Compliance Framework.

Votes Not passed by a modest majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives No
Australian Greens (89% turnout) 8 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
Larissa Waters Queensland Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Jordon Steele-John WA Absent
Australian Labor Party (88% turnout) 0 Yes 22 No
Tim Ayres NSW No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania No
Carol Brown Tasmania No
Raff Ciccone Victoria No
Patrick Dodson WA No
Don Farrell SA No
Alex Gallacher SA No
Katy Gallagher ACT No
Nita Green Queensland No
Kristina Keneally NSW No
Kimberley Kitching Victoria No
Jenny McAllister NSW No
Malarndirri McCarthy NT No
Deborah O'Neill NSW No
Helen Polley Tasmania No
Louise Pratt WA No
Tony Sheldon NSW No
Marielle Smith SA No
Glenn Sterle WA No
Anne Urquhart Tasmania No
Jess Walsh Victoria No
Murray Watt Queensland No
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Centre Alliance (100% turnout) 2 Yes 0 No
Stirling Griff SA Yes
Rex Patrick SA Yes
Sam McMahon NT Country Liberal Party No
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Absent
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Jacqui Lambie Network Absent
Liberal National Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
James McGrath Queensland No
Matthew Canavan Queensland Absent
Liberal Party (71% turnout) 0 Yes 20 No
Eric Abetz Tasmania No
Alex Antic SA No
Wendy Askew Tasmania No
Andrew Bragg NSW No
Slade Brockman WA No
Claire Chandler Tasmania No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania No
David Fawcett SA No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Hollie Hughes NSW No
Jane Hume Victoria No
Matt O'Sullivan WA No
James Paterson Victoria No
Gerard Rennick Queensland No
Paul Scarr Queensland No
Arthur Sinodinos NSW No
Dean Smith WA No
Amanda Stoker Queensland No
David Van Victoria No
Simon Birmingham SA Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
Mathias Cormann WA Absent
Mitch Fifield Victoria Absent
Marise Payne NSW Absent
Linda Reynolds WA Absent
Anne Ruston SA Absent
Zed Seselja ACT Absent
National Party (67% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Perin Davey NSW No
Susan McDonald Queensland No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria Absent
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Pauline Hanson Queensland No
Malcolm Roberts Queensland No
Scott Ryan Victoria President Absent
Totals (78% turnout) 10 Yes – 49 No