Prime Minister Julia Gillard opening Centre for Carbon, Water and Food at The University of Sydney, Camden Campus. Picture: Jonathan Ng
Prime Minister Julia Gillard opening Centre for Carbon, Water and Food at The University of Sydney, Camden Campus. Picture: Jonathan Ng
Would you be able you live on $35 per day?
PM: I think it would be very tough for anyone to live on Newstart.
That's why recipients affected by these changes are eligible to receive a range of supplementary payments in addition to the basic rate of Newstart. This includes Family Tax Benefit A & B, Rent Assistance, the Schoolkids Bonus, Child Care benefit and Child Care Rebate.
It's also why we've delivered the $1.1 billion Income Support Bonus paid twice yearly to assist with unexpected bills, car repairs, school fees and health care costs.
The Government also recognises that the ticket out of a cycle of entrenched disadvantage is not a handout but a job.
We believe that every working age Australian should have a job and we continue to do all we can to provide sensible incentives to ensure very long-term unemployed Australians reap the rewards of work.
Why do you think Laurie Ferguson, from Granville, is a better MP for Werriwa than Chris Hayes, who lives in Werriwa?
PM: I'm proud that Laurie and Chris are part of my team. They are both fantastic MPs who fight for their communities.
Both Laurie and Chris are working hard to help deliver our plans for Western Sydney - for jobs and opportunity, to keep the community safe and to help modern families with modern pressures.
For example, Laurie is fighting hard to stop the NSW Government allowing Coal Seam Gas mining - an issue about which I know there is enormous concern in the local community.
Why are you victimising sole parents when they have the highest work participation rates of all welfare recipients?
PM: The Government's changes to the parenting payment single put equity back into the system. Prior to 1 January this year, you could have parents living in the same street receiving different levels of government assistance depending on the birthday of their child.
We understand that's not fair, which is why we have removed this inconsistency.
It's also why this Government's first priority is jobs and investment in skills and training. The evidence shows that single mums on Newstart are more likely to find paid employment than those who are on the single parenting payment.
These changes are about making sure all Australians can the reap the rewards of work.
Will you stop CSG mining?
PM: There are significant community concerns about Coal Seam Gas.
The responsible minister, Tony Burke, has expressed concerns surrounding the approval process of CSG mines by the NSW government being too close to houses.
The NSW Government's planning decisions to allow CSG exploration and production licenses in urban areas and close to regional population centres is quite different to the approaches that other States have taken. The Commonwealth welcomes some of the recent changes that have been made by the NSW government to avoid urban areas for the time being.