Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 9:25:18 to 9:27:39
Examining how social security policies align with the national plan to end violence against women and children, focusing on financial independence.
Topics: Family and domestic violence, Social services
Speakers: Hon Katy Gallagher, Senator Penny Allman-Payne
Okay, thank you. Um Minister, your government's made a commitment to end all forms of gender-based violence. That includes coercive control and financial abuse. That's a commitment that defines the national plan to end violence against women against women and children. The national plan explicitly recognises women's economic security and financial independence as essential to preventing violence. How does your government reconcile partner income testing with its commitment to end all forms of violence against women?
Well, I think I'd go back to my uh well, a couple of things. Um as we know, violence operates, domestic family and sexual violence operates across the economy. Uh, and so the government's plan and our response to that is broader than just the social security system. Um, but we have increased uh payments on in social security, including on uh job seeker and parenting payment single, um where we've been able to afford to do that and where there are particular sets of circumstances, and I've I've visited the teams in Services Australia that are specifically trained in relation to family and domestic violence, um that there are safeguards in place that allow the system to support individuals in that position outside of arrangements for partner income tests, including the emergency payments that are provided for people leaving uh family and domestic violence.
Thank you. Um does the government accept that partner income testing creates an unfair power dynamic between uh disabled people and their partners?
Well, I think the partner income uh arrangements are a long-standing feature of the Australian Social Security system. I think the key uh to deal with uh circumstances that you outline in if a person has a disability and is experiencing violence are um there are cis there are you know the system can operate to accommodate and support those individuals separately to the issues of the partner income test.