Senator McLUCAS (2:38 PM) —My question is to Senator Patterson, the Minister for Family and Community Services. Is the minister aware that the government’s restrictive criteria for carer payment have excluded Sydney single mother Karen Schuler from access to that payment even though her 10-year-old son, Alex, has the rare and debilitating chromosomal disorder Edwards syndrome, which requires her to provide constant vigilance and care to her son? Is the minister aware that single parents like Karen instead receive parenting payment and will now face compulsory work search requirements under the government’s extreme welfare changes? Will the minister now guarantee that Karen and the tens of thousands of parents like her who have children requiring constant care due to their disabilities will be exempt from work search requirements so that these parents can continue to care for their children without being forced to work?

Senator PATTERSON (Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues) —This question comes from a senator who, when she was clearly told in estimates about some reforms and a review that was taking place with regard to in-home care for parents of disabled children, went out and misrepresented the information that was in the Senate, scaring people with children with disabilities. This question has come from a senator who was prepared to do that.

Senator McLucas —Mr President, I rise on a point of order. The point of order is on two counts. The first is on relevance. This is nothing to do with the question that I asked. Secondly, the minister is misleading the Senate.

Senator Chris Evans —Mr President, on the point of order: I would like to express my concern to you that a number of ministers, Senator Patterson foremost amongst them, make no attempt to answer the question. They make it clear that they are not going to. They introduce answers by saying, ‘Can I say,’ and then go on to a tirade about the questioner. I would ask you to review Senate question time, have a look at the approach taken by ministers and ask them to bring themselves to answer the question. I know that you cannot direct them how to answer, but when they make no attempt at all to respond to the question it really does make a farce of the whole process.

The PRESIDENT —Senator Evans, we have had this discussion before. Quite rightly, you make the point that I cannot direct a senator how to answer a question. But it seems to be the practice on both sides of the chamber that those asking questions and those answering questions do sometimes have a preamble. The minister still has 3½ minutes left for her question. I remind her of the question.

Senator PATTERSON —Thank you, Mr President, for reminding me of the question. I am putting it in the context of the questioner. The senator who asked the question was prepared to go out and scare people with children with disabilities who are receiving in-home care. I just wanted to put it in context. Before we came into government there was no carer payment for any parents of children under 16 with a disability. There was no classification at all. Then Senator the Hon. Jocelyn Newman brought in a measure to assist parents who had profoundly disabled children with certain conditions by giving them carer payment. It was not available to any parents before we changed the rules. Parents with children under 16 did not receive carer payment.

Parents who have a child with a disability are eligible for carer allowance. Before Senator McLucas runs out and puts out another press release, scaring parents of children with disabilities, I will tell her that the Prime Minister, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and I have already said—and I think I said it here—that, where parents have a child with a disability and are on parenting payment, that will be taken into account when assessing whether they are able to undertake 15 hours of employment. That will be taken into account. If the Labor Party go out and scare people with disabilities, it will just confirm that their tactic is to do that and not to actually engage in sensible discussion about a policy which will improve the lot of Australians by increasing participation in the work force and getting the number of children we have in Australia in jobless families into families that have a job.

Senator McLUCAS —I ask a supplementary question, Mr President. I note that that was no guarantee in terms of people having to participate in work search requirements. Is the minister also aware that, in the future under the government’s extreme welfare changes, parents like Karen will be worse off by around $11,500 while they care for children with disabilities between the ages of six and 16? Can the minister explain how this level of financial hardship and making a parent look for work which they will not be able to take because of their caring responsibilities is good for families or for these children? Will the minister now guarantee that parents—

Senator Chris Evans interjecting—

Senator Ian Campbell —Take a point of order, Chris!

The PRESIDENT —Order! Conversations across the chamber are disorderly. I would ask both Senator Ian Campbell and Senator Evans to desist. I ask the shadow minister to resume her question.

Senator McLUCAS —Will the minister now guarantee that parents of children with a disability receiving parenting payment will be exempted from the government’s proposed income cuts when the child turns six and will not be forced onto the dole?

Senator PATTERSON (Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues) —I did not hear the last part of Senator McLucas’s question. I would like her to repeat the last part of it. She said something about parents receiving something, but I did not hear what she said. I know that she will go out and misrepresent me, if I cannot answer her question because I have not heard what she said.

Senator McLucas —Mr President, I rise on a point of order.

The PRESIDENT —There is no point of order, Senator McLucas. I ask honourable senators to keep quiet so you can repeat the question you asked. For Senator Patterson’s benefit, could you repeat that part of the question that she did not hear?

Senator McLUCAS —Certainly. Will the minister now guarantee that parents with children with a disability receiving the parenting payment will be exempted from the government’s proposed income cuts when the child turns six and not be forced on to the dole?

Senator PATTERSON —Whatever I say, Senator McLucas will run out and scare people with children with a disability. But there are levels of disability. For example, some children who have diabetes are managing their diabetes. Some children have mild asthma, which some people claim is a disability. The measures will take into account a person’s caring responsibilities. Senator McLucas has not mentioned people caring for older people, and we have indicated before that that will be taken into account. But I do not care; whatever I say, Senator McLucas will go out and misrepresent what I say. (Time expired)