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Finance minister acknowledges ‘it’s hard to live on jobseeker’
Gallagher is asked directly about jobseeker and the base rate of social security payments. The government has flagged that is not intending to lift the base rate at this budget despite calling on the previous Coalition government to raise the rate while in opposition.
You know, in terms of jobseeker, there’s no doubt that people on jobseeker do it tough. There’s no doubt about that.
Insiders host David Speers asks whether those living on jobseeker are entitled to live a dignified life.
Gallagher says she acknowledges that “it’s hard to live on jobseeker”.
I accept that. The challenge for government, and, you know, I note some on the couch, you know, don’t see this as a real issue, is how we balance up the range of pressures across the budget, and, you know, they’re substantial and they’re across almost every area, in a budget that’s been booby-trapped in all of those areas that we’ve inherited – $1tn of debt – how do we balance up all of the need, and, you know, finalise those decisions …
So, in short: yes, life on jobseeker is no life at all, but the budget has to come first.
Key events
Gallagher on the NDIS and RBA appointments
On the NDIS, Gallagher refers to a speech given by Bill Shorten at the Press Club last week on the future of the scheme.
I think the challenge in the NDIS is actually about making sure that every dollar going in there – and it’s a substantial amount of dollars now, is actually delivering the outcomes we want in supporting people with a disability to live a dignified life, and, you know, some of that might involve changes within the scheme.
On a final note, Gallagher is asked about two recent appointments made to the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Gallagher says the two appointments are “first-rate candidates” that were selected after an “expression-of-interest process”.
The [RBA] governor and Treasury were involved in that. That’s the first time that’s happened. I note the governor in his press conference welcomed those appointments to the board. From our point of view, apart from them having incredible careers of substance, both of those appointees, we absolutely think that people with experience about working people’s lives and about wages and wages’ role in the economy is absolutely important to reflect on the board.
Government has not finalised view on changes to gas tax: Gallagher
Gallagher says the government has not yet finalised a view on whether gas producers are paying enough tax under the PRRT – but:
I think from other point of view, we want to make sure, that you know, taxpayers are getting the right sort of return through that measure. And, you know, that’s the work that Treasury has done. They think there are some changes that could be made. There are a number of different recommendations, or views, put through that, and we’ll conclude our discussions on that in the short term.
The government is also considering budget savings members in the upcoming budget, particularly as it is looking at the various “booby traps” left by the Coalition.
We’re actually having to deal with that. And you’ll see a reasonable part of the budget is actually addressing these terminating measures, which is essentially the dishonesty of the previous government about the state the budget was in.
Gallagher on new taxes in upcoming budget
There are difficult decisions. I don’t want to pretend to anybody that these are easy decisions. They are difficult. But how do we get that balance right? How do we address disadvantage? How do we support those that are most vulnerable? How do we provide cost-of-living relief within the context of the environment we’re in?
Gallagher is asked whether there will be new taxes in the upcoming budget. She says that the government has been considering multinational tax avoidance so “in that sense, yes, you will see that reflected in the budget”.
On the petroleum resource rent tax, Gallagher says the government has “received advice from Treasury” but has not yet “formed a concluded view on that”.
That was work commissioned by the former government. It’s been going for the last few years. And, you know, Treasury’s view is that they think that there are improvements that could be made to the PRRT. We’re considering those. We haven’t formed a view about whether it’s this budget or this year. I think the industry is sort of well across what those modest changes might be, because they’ve been involved in those consultations, but we haven’t finalised a view on that.
Budget is about ‘balancing different pressures’: Gallagher
Gallagher is asked about the difference between the $34bn cost of raising the base rate of social security and other payments compared to the cost of the stage-three tax cuts.
The finance minister says “those will be updated in the budget”.
The stage-three tax cuts are legislated. They are due to come in July next year. You know, we haven’t changed our position on those. And the challenge for us is looking across the budget as a whole, where we can make additional spending, where we can make additional savings, and how we make those decisions. And it’s a balancing act. There’s no doubt about it. We have to balance all of these different pressures, whether it’s defence, health, you know, all the investments in Medicare that have a cost-of-living focus, how we balance all of those …
Finance minister acknowledges ‘it’s hard to live on jobseeker’
Gallagher is asked directly about jobseeker and the base rate of social security payments. The government has flagged that is not intending to lift the base rate at this budget despite calling on the previous Coalition government to raise the rate while in opposition.
You know, in terms of jobseeker, there’s no doubt that people on jobseeker do it tough. There’s no doubt about that.
Insiders host David Speers asks whether those living on jobseeker are entitled to live a dignified life.
Gallagher says she acknowledges that “it’s hard to live on jobseeker”.
I accept that. The challenge for government, and, you know, I note some on the couch, you know, don’t see this as a real issue, is how we balance up the range of pressures across the budget, and, you know, they’re substantial and they’re across almost every area, in a budget that’s been booby-trapped in all of those areas that we’ve inherited – $1tn of debt – how do we balance up all of the need, and, you know, finalise those decisions …
So, in short: yes, life on jobseeker is no life at all, but the budget has to come first.
Gallagher hints at lifting rent assistance in upcoming budget
Gallagher is now asked about recommendations saying the government should urgently lift rent assistance that have left women in a vulnerable situations.
She hints that there may be assistance in the upcoming budget.
The women’s economic equality taskforce makes this point. You know, we earn less. We retire with less. We have less assets, less wealth. We earn less in lower-paid jobs.
This is the reality of 2023 for Australia’s women. And this is the work that we have started in the budget. It’s the work we’re going to continue in this budget.
Government ‘deadly serious’ about addressing women’s inequality: Gallagher
Katy Gallagher says the government will “send the signal that we are deadly serious about addressing women’s inequality across the economy more broadly”.
However Gallagher said the government is “having a look” at arrangements that will force single mothers on to jobseeker when their child turns eight and results in them losing $100 a week.
We are having a look at it. You know, we don’t set up these task forces to then not seriously consider the recommendations that they come forward with. The budget will look to do as much as it can within, you know, the responsible fiscal environment that we are in, to deal with addressing disadvantage and inequality where we can.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Humphries as “one of a kind”.
For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone.
But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry.
A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift.
May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/oSAKpxPGae
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 22, 2023
Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has appeared on Sky News this morning and finance minister Katy Gallagher is being interviewed on ABC Insiders this morning, where she is expected to discuss the upcoming budget and the government’s reluctance to lift social security payments.
We’ll bring you all the latest as it comes.
Good morning
And welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian live blog.
Tributes have continued to flow for Australian comedian and satirist Barry Humphries at home and abroad. Humphries’ death at 89 has been met with messages from Australian leaders including prime minister Anthony Albanese, opposition leader Peter Dutton, and state premiers.
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson also paid tribute to Humphries, as did British comedians Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr, Eric Idle, and Matt Lucas and Australians Adam Hills, Rove McManus, Marty Fields and Jason Donovon. Sir Michael Parkinson remembered Humphries as one of his favourite guests and News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch praised Humphries’ “works, his creation, his spirit”.
An upcoming strategic review of the Australian defence force is expected to bring more cuts amid concerns about potential anger from Beijing. The review is expected to be released on Monday but some experts have argued that with the “drums of war” beating loudly, the government “has a difficult line to pursue” in balancing Australia’s defence needs without upsetting a sensitive relationship with its largest trading partner.
I’m Royce Kurmelovs, taking the blog through the day. With so much going on out there, it’s easy to miss stuff, so if you spot something happening in Australia and think it should be on the blog, you can find me on Twitter at @RoyceRk2 where my DMs are open.
With that, let’s get started …
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