edited
18th Aug 2023
Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Safety Net) Bill 2023 - Second Reading - Shift start date
Passed by a modest majority
No rebellions 58% attendance
1st Aug 2023, 1:28 PM – Senate Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Safety Net) Bill 2023 - in Committee - Eligibility and commencement
Summary
EditThe 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".
Votes Not passed by a modest majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Greens (82% turnout) | 9 Yes – 0 No | |
| Dorinda Cox WA | Yes | |
| Mehreen Faruqi NSW | Yes | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young SA | Yes | |
| Nick McKim Tasmania | Yes | |
| Barbara Pocock SA | Yes | |
| Janet Rice Victoria | Yes | |
| David Shoebridge NSW | Yes | |
| Larissa Waters Queensland | Yes | |
| Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | Yes | |
| Penny Allman-Payne Queensland | Absent | |
| Jordon Steele-John WA | Absent | |
| Australian Labor Party (80% turnout) | 0 Yes – 20 No | |
| Tim Ayres NSW | No | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | No | |
| Anthony Chisholm Queensland | No | |
| Raff Ciccone Victoria | No | |
| Don Farrell SA | No | |
| Katy Gallagher ACT | No | |
| Nita Green Queensland | No | |
| Karen Grogan SA | 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 | |
| Linda White Victoria | No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | Absent | |
| Patrick Dodson WA | Absent | |
| Fatima Payman WA | Absent | |
| Jana Stewart Victoria | Absent | |
| Penny Wong SA | Absent | |
| Jacinta Nampijinpa Price NT Country Liberal Party | Absent | |
| Andrew McLachlan SA Deputy President | Absent | |
| David Pocock ACT Independent | Yes | |
| Lidia Thorpe Victoria Independent | Absent | |
| David Van Victoria Independent | Absent | |
| Jacqui Lambie Network (100% turnout) | 1 Yes – 1 No | |
| Tammy Tyrrell Tasmania | Yes | |
| Jacqui Lambie Tasmania | No | |
| Liberal National Party (50% turnout) | 0 Yes – 1 No | |
| James McGrath Queensland | No | |
| Matthew Canavan Queensland | Absent | |
| Liberal Party (22% turnout) | 0 Yes – 5 No | |
| Alex Antic SA | No | |
| Richard Colbeck Tasmania | No | |
| Marise Payne NSW | No | |
| Anne Ruston SA | No | |
| Paul Scarr Queensland | No | |
| Wendy Askew Tasmania | Absent | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | Absent | |
| Andrew Bragg NSW | Absent | |
| Slade Brockman WA | Absent | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | Absent | |
| Claire Chandler Tasmania | Absent | |
| Jonathon Duniam Tasmania | Absent | |
| David Fawcett SA | Absent | |
| Sarah Henderson Victoria | Absent | |
| Hollie Hughes NSW | Absent | |
| Jane Hume Victoria | Absent | |
| Maria Kovacic NSW | Absent | |
| Kerrynne Liddle SA | Absent | |
| Matt O'Sullivan WA | Absent | |
| James Paterson Victoria | Absent | |
| Gerard Rennick Queensland | Absent | |
| Linda Reynolds WA | Absent | |
| Dean Smith WA | Absent | |
| National Party (25% turnout) | 0 Yes – 1 No | |
| Ross Cadell NSW | No | |
| Perin Davey NSW | Absent | |
| Susan McDonald Queensland | Absent | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Absent | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (0% turnout) | Absent | |
| Pauline Hanson Queensland | Absent | |
| Malcolm Roberts Queensland | Absent | |
| Sue Lines WA President | Absent | |
| Ralph Babet Victoria United Australia Party | No | |
| Totals (53% turnout) | 11 Yes – 29 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.