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senate vote 2021-03-18#23
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2021-04-16 12:09:30
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Title
Description
- The majority voted in favour of a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2021-03-18.90.7) to keep the bill unchanged. This motion was put after the Greens Party proposed to oppose [items 24, 25, 28, 29, 31 and 32](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2021-03-18.87.3) of Schedule 1 in respect to the indexation of income free areas. Because this vote was successful, those parts of the bill will remain as they are.
- ### What does this bill do?
According to the bills digest, the purpose of the bill is to:- According to the [bills digest](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd2021a/21bd055), the purpose of the bill is to:
- > * *increase the maximum basic rates of JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance, Youth Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment and Austudy by $50 per fortnight from 1 April 2021*
- > * *increase the ordinary income free area for JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance (Other), Parenting Payment Partnered and Widow Allowance to $150 per fortnight from 1 April 2021 and cease indexation of the JobSeeker Payment income free area*
- > * *extend special COVID-19 qualification criteria for Youth Allowance (Other) and JobSeeker Payment until 30 June 2021—the criteria cover those in quarantine or self-isolation or caring for a family member or household member in quarantine or self-isolation due to COVID-19*
- > * *extend until 30 June 2021 the waiver of the ordinary waiting period for JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other)—the waiver was introduced as part of the Government’s COVID-19 response, and*
> * *give the Secretary of the Department of Social Services the discretionary power—until 30 June 2021—to extend the portability period for certain Age Pension and Disability Support Pension recipients unable to return to, or depart from, Australia within 26 weeks due to the impact of COVID-19—portability determines a person’s eligibility for a pension and payment rate when they live permanently outside Australia.*- > * *give the Secretary of the Department of Social Services the discretionary power—until 30 June 2021—to extend the portability period for certain Age Pension and Disability Support Pension recipients unable to return to, or depart from, Australia within 26 weeks due to the impact of COVID-19—portability determines a person’s eligibility for a pension and payment rate when they live permanently outside Australia.*
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senate vote 2021-03-18#23
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2021-04-16 12:08:38
|
Title
Bills — Social Services Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Income Support) Bill 2021; Second Reading- Social Services Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Income Support) Bill 2021 - Second Reading - Indexation of income free areas
Description
<p class="speaker">Rachel Siewert</p><p>by leave—I table my second reading contribution to the debate on the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Income Support) Bill 2021.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p>- The majority voted in favour of a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2021-03-18.90.7) to keep the bill unchanged. This motion was put after the Greens Party proposed to oppose [items 24, 25, 28, 29, 31 and 32](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2021-03-18.87.3) of Schedule 1 in respect to the indexation of income free areas. Because this vote was successful, those parts of the bill will remain as they are.
- ### What does this bill do?
- According to the bills digest, the purpose of the bill is to:
- > * *increase the maximum basic rates of JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance, Youth Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment and Austudy by $50 per fortnight from 1 April 2021*
- > * *increase the ordinary income free area for JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance (Other), Parenting Payment Partnered and Widow Allowance to $150 per fortnight from 1 April 2021 and cease indexation of the JobSeeker Payment income free area*
- > * *extend special COVID-19 qualification criteria for Youth Allowance (Other) and JobSeeker Payment until 30 June 2021—the criteria cover those in quarantine or self-isolation or caring for a family member or household member in quarantine or self-isolation due to COVID-19*
- > * *extend until 30 June 2021 the waiver of the ordinary waiting period for JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other)—the waiver was introduced as part of the Government’s COVID-19 response, and*
- > * *give the Secretary of the Department of Social Services the discretionary power—until 30 June 2021—to extend the portability period for certain Age Pension and Disability Support Pension recipients unable to return to, or depart from, Australia within 26 weeks due to the impact of COVID-19—portability determines a person’s eligibility for a pension and payment rate when they live permanently outside Australia.*
<p>The question now is that the bill be read a second time.</p><p>Question agreed to.</p><p>Bill read a second time.</p><p>I will now deal with the circulated requests and amendments to the bill, starting with those circulated by the Australian Greens. Is it the wish of the committee that the statement accompanying the requests circulated for this bill be incorporated in <i>Hansard </i>immediately after the request to which they relate? There being no objection, it is so ordered. The question now is that items 24, 25, 28, 29, 31 and 32 of schedule 1 stand as printed.</p><p> <i>The Aust</i> <i>ralian Greens opposed schedule 1</i> <i> in the following terms—</i></p><p class="italic">(3) Schedule 1, items 24 and 25, page 17 (lines 9 to 12), to be opposed.</p><p class="italic">(5) Schedule 1, items 28 and 29, page 17 (lines 17 to 20), to be opposed.</p><p class="italic">(6) Schedule 1, items 31 and 32, page 17 (line 23) to page 18 (line 2), to be opposed.</p><p>Question agreed to.</p> <p class="speaker">Larissa Waters</p><p>Forgive me, but I'm confused as to why our amendments are all being moved together, despite being on different sheets.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>I'm going from a script here. My memory of such matters is that when we're dealing with matters under a limitation of time debate, unless there's an inconsistency, or someone asks for them to be dealt with separately, they're dealt with together. They can only be put separately if someone is going to vote on them separately. The question now is that the remaining requests and amendments circulated by the Australian Greens be agreed to.</p> <p class="speaker">Rachel Siewert</p><p>You're asking that they stand as printed. My understanding is that that is not the right question.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>The advice I've just received, Senator Siewert, is that, because you are seeking to remove items from the bill, the question is that the bill stand as printed and that, to support your amendments, you would vote no to that motion.</p> <p class="speaker">Rachel Siewert</p><p>I apologise.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>There is no need to apologise.</p> <p class="speaker">Rachel Siewert</p><p>As they are being put together, we definitely ask you to put that again, because we can divide.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>With the leave of the chamber, I'm going to put that again. Do people need me to read it again, or are they clear? They're clear. The question is that the bill stand as printed.</p>
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