Ms GILLARD (Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion) (3:52 PM) —I move:

Consistent with its theme of responsible economic management, the government identified a number of programs that were inefficient or wasteful, or were largely duplicated elsewhere. The employment entry payment is one such scheme.

The employment entry payment was initially introduced in 1989 to assist with costs associated with taking up employment. Since then, three other schemes have been introduced which provide similar or better assistance and which are more flexible in their application. These are the special employment advance, job seeker accounts provided via the Job Network, and the working credit. Further improvement will be implemented under the new employment services model.

This bill will repeal the employment entry payment, effective from 1 July 2008.

Removal of the payment will simplify the assistance available to those commencing work, particularly in relation to the complex interactions now in place between the employment entry payment and the special employment advance and will realise savings of $60.8 million over five years and deliver on the government’s commitment to responsible economic management.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate (on motion by Mr Ian Macfarlane) adjourned.