Division Description Changes — Bills — Social Services Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Income Support) Bill 2021; Second Reading — 18th Mar 2021

Change	Division
senate vote 2021-03-18#22 Edited by mackay staff on 2021-04-16 12:23:59	Title Bills — Social Services Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Income Support) Bill 2021; Second Reading Social Services Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Income Support) Bill 2021 - Second Reading - Unemployment pay Description ~~<p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p>~~ ~~<p>I will now deal with the second reading amendment circulated by the opposition. The question is that the second reading amendment on sheet 1243 be agreed to.</p>~~ <p class="italic"> <i>Opposition's circulated second reading amendment—</i></p> The majority voted against an [amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2021-03-18.85.1) to the usual [second reading motion](https://www.peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/making-a-law-in-the-australian-parliament/), which means it shall remain unchanged. The usual motion is "that the bill be read a second time," which is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill. ### Amendment text > At the end of the motion, add: ", but the Senate: > > (a) notes that: > >> (i) the effect of this Bill will be to cut unemployment payments by $100 per fortnight at the end of March, at the same time as JobKeeper is ending, and >> >> (ii) over 1.3 million people are relying on unemployment payments – almost twice as many as before the pandemic; and > > (b) calls on the Government to: > *>> (i) abandon its counterproductive and punitive plans for a dob-in-a-jobseeker hotline that will only make life harder for job seekers and employers by further increasing mutual obligation requirements at a time when unemployment and underemploy*ment is high, >> >> (ii) consider allowing people to keep more of their earnings from part-time, casual or seasonal work, to help people move into employment, and >> >> (iii) do more to support Australians facing poverty and hardship – through adequate payments to those who need them, housing, addressing child poverty, and better health and education services". ~~<p class="italic">At the end of the motion, add: ", but the Senate:</p>~~ ~~<p class="italic">(a) notes that:</p>~~ ~~<p class="italic">  (i) the effect of this Bill will be to cut unemployment payments by $100 per fortnight at the end of March, at the same time as JobKeeper is ending, and</p>~~ ~~<p class="italic">  (ii) over 1.3 million people are relying on unemployment payments – almost twice as many as before the pandemic; and</p>~~ ~~<p class="italic">(b) calls on the Government to:</p>~~ <p class="italic">  (i) abandon its counterproductive and punitive plans for a dob-in-a-jobseeker hotline that will only make life harder for job seekers and employers by further increasing mutual obligation requirements at a time when unemployment and underemployment is high,</p> ~~<p class="italic">  (ii) consider allowing people to keep more of their earnings from part-time, casual or seasonal work, to help people move into employment, and</p>~~ <p class="italic">  (iii) do more to support Australians facing poverty and hardship – through adequate payments to those who need them, housing, addressing child poverty, and better health and education services".</p>

~~Scott Ryan~~
~~I will now deal with the second reading amendment circulated by the opposition. The question is that the second reading amendment on sheet 1243 be agreed to.~~
 Opposition's circulated second reading amendment—
The majority voted against an [amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2021-03-18.85.1) to the usual [second reading motion](https://www.peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/making-a-law-in-the-australian-parliament/), which means it shall remain unchanged. The usual motion is "*that the bill be read a second time*," which is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill.
### Amendment text
> *At the end of the motion, add: ", but the Senate:*
>
> *(a) notes that:*
>
>> *(i) the effect of this Bill will be to cut unemployment payments by $100 per fortnight at the end of March, at the same time as JobKeeper is ending, and*
>>
>> *(ii) over 1.3 million people are relying on unemployment payments – almost twice as many as before the pandemic; and*
>
> *(b) calls on the Government to:*
>
>> *(i) abandon its counterproductive and punitive plans for a dob-in-a-jobseeker hotline that will only make life harder for job seekers and employers by further increasing mutual obligation requirements at a time when unemployment and underemployment is high,*
>>
>> *(ii) consider allowing people to keep more of their earnings from part-time, casual or seasonal work, to help people move into employment, and*
>>
>> *(iii) do more to support Australians facing poverty and hardship – through adequate payments to those who need them, housing, addressing child poverty, and better health and education services".*
~~At the end of the motion, add: ", but the Senate:~~
~~(a) notes that:~~
~~  (i) the effect of this Bill will be to cut unemployment payments by $100 per fortnight at the end of March, at the same time as JobKeeper is ending, and~~
~~  (ii) over 1.3 million people are relying on unemployment payments – almost twice as many as before the pandemic; and~~
~~(b) calls on the Government to:~~
(i) abandon its counterproductive and punitive plans for a dob-in-a-jobseeker hotline that will only make life harder for job seekers and employers by further increasing mutual obligation requirements at a time when unemployment and underemployment is high,
~~  (ii) consider allowing people to keep more of their earnings from part-time, casual or seasonal work, to help people move into employment, and~~
(iii) do more to support Australians facing poverty and hardship – through adequate payments to those who need them, housing, addressing child poverty, and better health and education services".