Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 10:30:44 to 10:38:34
Debate over the government's commitment to transition from compulsory to voluntary income management, including consultation progress and compatibility with human rights obligations.
Topics: Human rights, Government spending
Speakers: Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Corri McKenzie, Trish Clancy, Ellie Whiteaker, Hon Katy Gallagher, Michael Lye
Yes. Okay. Thank you very much for joining us. Everyone from outcome two. I will go first to Senator Allman Payne.
Thanks, Chair. So unsurprisingly, my questions are about compulsory income management, given I've got that wrong earlier. In relation to at the review hearing into the instrument, the most recent instrument. The Department testified that they hadn't received a change in mandate to end compulsory income management. Despite this, the department also gave evidence that they hadn't progressed any further consultation since mid-2025. What work, if any, beyond the most recent round of consultation has been done since that hearing to progress this mandate,
Thank you for the question. So the consultation ended in the middle of 2024. We have had the there's obviously a period of time around the reports. The department has continued to progress a whole range of policy work and advice over the course of that period, and that works ongoing.
Has there been any further engagement? My understanding of the evidence that we heard at the inquiry was that there hadn't been any explicit stakeholder engagement, for example, going back to people who contribute to the report to tell them what the report said and doing further public consultation. Do you envisage that there will be further public consultation soon?
So yes, I think the I think the testimony at the inquiry related to a kind of formal consultation process, you're absolutely right. There's uh we haven't done another formal consultation process, they have continued to engage with a range of stakeholders over the course of that period. Um there are no current plans for an immediate kind of public consultation process.
Um probably a question for the minister. Um the government's committed to making compulsory income management voluntary. I note that in the 2026-27 budget, the government committed to providing 202.7 million over five years to maintain existing income management arrangements and to reinvest funding for support services participants, and I quote, while the government determines future income management arrangements. Um just wanting to hear from the Minister directly, does the government still plan to make income management voluntary? Uh and if so, can you give a specific or a time frame with specific milestones that you would expect for achieving that?
Uh so that commitment to making income management voluntary is maintained. There's been no change in government position. I'm not sure I don't have any um dates that I can give you tonight or see if there's anything further I can add.
Could you take that on notice, Minister? Yep. Just in what the expected time frame is? Yeah. Um question for the department. Um how many people currently are on a voluntary form of income management? And how much does this cohort make up as a proportion of the present present overall income management cohort?
Uh good evening, Senator Trish Clancy, group manager, uh data and evaluation group. Uh total voluntary participants in income management right now are 2,000. And sorry, this was as at 4 September. 4th of September 2064. Uh, and that is 6.2% of the total number uh of income management participants.
All right, thank you. Um has the department done or been asked to do any modelling on how much it would cost to transition to an entirely voluntary income management system?
The department is doing a range of policy work on options uh for the future.
Okay. And have they been put to government yet, or they're still in the process of being developed? All right, well, I'll wait to hear back on those from the minister as to whether there's a timeline. Um my next questions go to um the statement of compatibility with the the most recent instrument I just want to clarify that people know which instrument I'm talking about, the one with the really long name that we just had recently that repealed um the yep, thank you. Thanks, and I think um what's the statement of compatibility drafted by the department?
Yeah, you answered Christy Van Derstein, our branch manager, income management task force. Yes, that the statement of compatibility was drafted by the Department.
Okay, is the Department aware of the September 2024 Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights report of their inquiry into compulsory income management? Um if the department drafted the statement and you're aware of that report, why was there no reference to the findings of that inquiry in the statement of compatibility and indeed statements contradictory to the findings of the inquiry?
I'm happy to take that, happy to look at that on notice, Senator. I'm not sure that I'm I'm not sure that we can answer that, but I I'll we're happy to take that on notice and have a look at it.
Okay. Um has the department obtained legal advice on the compatibility of income management with human rights.
Uh we don't uh we don't usually comment on matters of legal advice, Senator.
I'm not asking for the substance, I'm just asking if you've actually sought legal advice.
Uh I'd have to take that on notice.
Okay. Um if the department drafted the statement on what basis does the department consider its interpretation of compatibility of income management with Australia's human rights obligations? Um superior to that of the joint parliamentary committee that specifically looked into human rights.
I think Senator Gibbon we've taken those other questions on notice. We'll take that one on notice as well.
Okay. Um Chair, you'll be really pleased to know that that is the end of all my questions.
Thank you, Senator Allman Payne. That's great to hear. Senator Ruston.