Bruce Billson voted moderately against increasing the age pension

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read these bills a third time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agree with the bills and want to pass them in the House of Representatives. The bills will now be sent to the Senate for their consideration.

Background to the bills

The Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014 and the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) Bill 2014 were introduced to implement a number of budget measures. These measures include pausing indexation on certain government payments, ceasing certain payments and changing the requirements for certain payments.(Read about these changes in more detail in the explanatory memorandum for the former bill (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) here and latter bill (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) here. )

Although several of these welfare measure were to become effective from 1 July 2014, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has said that it is unlikely that they will pass through Parliament by then.(See ABC News for more information.) In the meantime, the government payments will continue unchanged.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree to the bills.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agree with the bills as they stand during the consideration in detail stage and will now decide whether to read them for a third time and therefore pass them in the House of Representatives.

Background to the bills

The Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014 and the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) Bill 2014 were introduced to implement a number of budget measures. These measures include pausing indexation on certain government payments, ceasing certain payments and changing the requirements for certain payments.(Read about these changes in more detail in the explanatory memorandum for the former bill (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) here and latter bill (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) here. )

Although several of these welfare measure were to become effective from 1 July 2014, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has said that it is unlikely that they will pass through Parliament by then.(See ABC News for more information.) In the meantime, the government payments will continue unchanged.

The majority voted against amendments introduced by Labor MP Jenny Macklin.

Ms Macklin explained during the second reading debate that these amendment would "remove the following from the legislation:

• cuts to pensions through the indexation changes;
• increasing the pension age to 70;
• abolishing the seniors supplement;
• the resetting of the social security and veterans' entitlements income deeming thresholds, effectively another cut;
• cessation of the pensioner education supplement;
• the removal of the three-month backdating of the disability pension under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986; and
• the pause to indexation in the income-free test areas for all pensioners."

(Read Ms Macklin's speech during the second reading debate here.)

Because the majority voted against these amendments, they were unsuccessful.

Background to the bills

The Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014 and the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) Bill 2014 were introduced to implement a number of budget measures. These measures include pausing indexation on certain government payments, ceasing certain payments and changing the requirements for certain payments.(Read about these changes in more detail in the explanatory memorandum for the former bill (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) here and latter bill (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) here. )

Although several of these welfare measure were to become effective from 1 July 2014, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has said that it is unlikely that they will pass through Parliament by then.(See ABC News for more information.) In the meantime, the government payments will continue unchanged.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read these bills a second time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through to become law here. ) This means that the majority agree with the main idea of the bills and that the House will not discuss them in more detail.

Background to the bills

The Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014 and the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) Bill 2014 were introduced to implement a number of budget measures. These measures include pausing indexation on certain government payments, ceasing certain payments and changing the requirements for certain payments.(Read about these changes in more detail in the explanatory memorandum for the former bill (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) here and latter bill (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) here. )

Although several of these welfare measure were to become effective from 1 July 2014, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has said that it is unlikely that they will pass through Parliament by then.(See ABC News for more information.) In the meantime, the government payments will continue unchanged.

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by Leader of the House Anthony Albanese, which means that it was successful. The motion was:

That this House:

(1) notes the statement of the Speaker concerning the constitutional issues associated with this bill;

(2) is of the opinion that a bill which is intended to have the effect, and which would, if enacted, have the effect of increasing expenditure under a standing appropriation: (a) should be introduced in the House of Representatives; and (b) would require a message from the Governor-General in accordance with section 56 of the Constitution; and

(3) believes that it is not in accordance with the constitutional provisions concerning the powers of the houses in respect of legislation as they have been applied in the House for such a measure to have originated in the Senate, and therefore declines to consider the Urgent Relief for Single Age Pensioners Bill transmitted from the Senate.