Senator WONG (2:55 PM) —My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workforce Relations and the Minister for Workforce Participation. Is the minister aware that there are around 1.3 million Australians on the parenting payment and disability support pension? Does the minister agree that a person is most likely to get a job if they have the skills an employer needs? Can the minister explain whether it is actually a mistake or a series of typographical errors in the budget papers that shows only 136,000 new Job Network places for these 1.3 million welfare recipients? When will this error be corrected, Minister?

Senator ABETZ (Special Minister of State) —What we have yet again is an opposition bereft of any policies to deal with the issue of work force participation. They are unable to come up with a positive policy and, as a result, they go around seeking to nitpick. I have seen the figures in relation to parenting payments and disability payments. One of the disturbing statistics is that there are now more people on the disability support pension than there are on the unemployment benefit. On the OECD figures, we are out of whack with other comparable countries. In Australia, I think the figure is about 45 per cent, whereas the figures are less in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. We are seeking, quite unashamedly, to encourage those who can work into employment with our incentives. Those who actually do want to work will be provided with incentives to do that. Those who do not want to work will be provided with a disincentive to remain in that situation.

All those people whom we are encouraging to go into the work force will not, as of necessity, have to go through the Job Network to find themselves a position. There are a lot of positions available in the community that people will find out about by word of mouth and by discussion with local employers, without the need to go through their local Job Network provider. As a result, to try to match up the one million people to whom Senator Wong referred with the 136,000 places is an interesting exercise in mental gymnastics. When you actually examine the assertion being made, Senator Wong herself must surely realise that not everybody seeking 15 or 20 hours work or some part-time work will, as of necessity, have to go through the Job Network to get the employment opportunities that are available. To try to marry those two figures clearly makes no sense. I suggest to Senator Wong that the people on supporting parent benefits and the people on disability support pensions want a government that is going to assist them into employment. Also, these low-income earners want a reduction in their rate of taxation once they do enter the work force—something that Senator Wong and her colleagues are absolutely opposed to supporting.

Senator WONG —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I take it from the minister’s answer that it was not an error. Can the minister therefore explain why there is only one Job Network place for every seven parenting payment recipients? Can the minister also explain why 600,000 parents have to fight with 65,000 mature age unemployed for 12,300 vocational training places? When will the minister acknowledge what everyone knows—that the Howard government has failed the test of welfare reform? When will the minister acknowledge that all the government is doing is moving welfare recipients from one welfare payment to a lower welfare payment?

Senator ABETZ (Special Minister of State) —Absolutely not. What we as a government are trying to do is assist people off welfare into the work force. That is clearly our policy. It has been enunciated time and time again, and the vast majority of social commentators are in fact supporting our approach: Patrick McClure, for example—the CEO of Mission Australia. This is a broad package of incentives which will advance the cause of welfare reform.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Senator ABETZ —They do not want to hear what others say about this package, Mr President. Dan Pekin, who currently employs 15 disabled people in his furniture factory in Melbourne, said: ‘We have had no financial subsidies to date. Now with this budget we will look into what we can get.’ Mr Max Dyason of Adelaide’s Bedford Industries said: ‘Almost everyone wants to have a meaningful job. This will make it easier.’ That is what the government is on about. I invite Senator Wong to come on board. (Time expired)

Senator Hill —Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.