Ms MACKLIN(10.56 p.m.) —by leave—I move:

(13)   Clause 3, page 2 (line 2) before "Each Act" insert "Subject to section 5"

(14)   Clause 4, page 2 (lines 6-13), omit the clause, substitute the following clause:

   4 Object

   The object of this Act is to set out the circumstances in which people receiving payments under Part 2.12 of the Social Security Act 1991 may be required to participate in approved programs of work.

(15)   Page 2 (after line 13), after clause 4 insert:

   5 Amendments to cease to have effect

   The amendments to the Social Security Act 1991 and the Data-matching Program (Assistance and Tax) Act 1990 made by this Act cease to have effect from 30 June 1998.

Amendments (13) and (15) seek to recognise that the government is still in two minds about whether or not the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Work for the Dole) Bill will actually help anybody. What the government has recognised in its budget is that it is going to provide only one year's worth of funding to this scheme.

The purpose of these amendments is to put a sunset clause in the bill. The government has already said that it will announce any ongoing policy following next year's budget. As we can see from this year's budget, only a very paltry amount of money is provided for this scheme. Therefore, I think it would be wise to see the end of it. The amendments that we have moved tonight would result in a sunset clause being put in the bill. It is very important that we have a sunset clause so that people will know that they will not have to put up with this scheme for any longer than they have to.

Amendment (14) seeks to change the object clause of the bill. What we have in the current bill before us which we are seeking to amend is an object which refers to mutual obligation. There has been a lot of talk tonight about mutual obligation in the consideration in detail stage. What Labor has to say about mutual obligation is that there is nothing in here about the government's obligation to unemployed people.

There is nothing in this bill that says that the government will ensure that training and protection of workers will be available to make sure that it is a decent labour market program. What we are seeking to do is have an object clause that makes it clear that the bill sets out conditions under which a person receiving newstart allowance may be required to participate in a work for the dole program.

   Question put:

   That the amendments (Ms Macklin's ) be agreed to.