Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Outrage as David Speers kept interrupting Amanda Rishworth and not allowing her finish her sentence during interview on Insiders.
According to information, Australians are angry with David Speers and it has caused stirs on social media.
David Speers interviews Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth. The Australian’s Greg Sheridan, Amy Remeikis of Guardian Australia, and the AFR’s Jennifer Hewett discuss the issues of the week. Mike Bowers talks the week in pictures with Mark Humphries.
DAVID SPEERS, HOST: Amanda Rishworth, welcome to the program.
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Great to be with you.
DAVID SPEERS: So, your plan to lift the rate of JobSeeker by $40 a fortnight as announced in the Budget we know, but there was also meant to be an indexation increase on top of that. You’ve been waiting for the latest inflation data. Are you able to now confirm what that increase will be?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Our policy design for the increase of JobSeeker made it very clear that the $40 would be applied before indexation. Indexation is due on the same date as our increase, on the 20th September. I’m able to confirm the rate of the increase to JobSeeker will be $56. So, JobSeekers over a fortnight will get $56 extra. In addition, that extra indexation will also be applied to our Commonwealth Rent Assistance that we announced in the Budget – 15 per cent increase on the maximum rates and inflation applied after. So, the support that people will get through that, if they’re on the maximum rate will be between $18 to $37 extra a fortnight.
DAVID SPEERS: Okay, so just on JobSeeker, the $40 plus $16 from indexation, what’s the rate of that indexation that you’ve settled on there?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: The rate of indexation is being calculated at 2.2 per cent for the preceding six months from January to July.
DAVID SPEERS: So, only a 2.2 per cent increase in indexation. How did you arrive at that?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: That’s what the CPI figures are for the six months. JobSeeker is indexed every six months. In March there was a 3.7 per cent indexation applied. So, there’s been two indexations. But, importantly, we didn’t do the indexation and then add the $40. The $40 was incorporated, so the full amount, including our increase to the base rate, has been applied. We’re looking at maximising the support that people do get.
DAVID SPEERS: So, only a 2.2 per cent increase in indexation. How did you arrive at that?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: That’s what the CPI figures are for the six months. JobSeeker is indexed every six months. In March there was a 3.7 per cent indexation applied. So, there’s been two indexations. But, importantly, we didn’t do the indexation and then add the $40. The $40 was incorporated, so the full amount, including our increase to the base rate, has been applied. We’re looking at maximising the support that people do get.
DAVID SPEERS: I’m just wondering that indexation rate, even if you put the two of them together, you’re only getting to around 6 per cent over the year. A lot of basic costs for people on JobSeeker have gone up more than that. In fact, we can show you some of them. Here you can see over the twelve months, food and non-alcoholic beverage up 7.5 per cent, rent 6.7 per cent, gas more than 22 per cent, electricity more than 10 per cent. So, is what you’re doing enough?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: There is the indexation, but we’ve increased the base rate of JobSeeker as well by $40 a fortnight. But that’s not the only cost of living measures we’ve taken, as I said Commonwealth Rent Assistance – the largest increase in Commonwealth Rent Assistance – that goes to 1.1 million Australians who will benefit. As a result of that, we’ve got our energy price reductions, which will focus on concession card holders and of course our tripling of the bulk billing incentive, which is focused once again for those on the lowest incomes, those that have children. So, you’ve got to look at these cost of living measures in their entirety.
DAVID SPEERS: So, you’ve just announced the JobSeeker increase will be $56 and the Commonwealth Rent Assistance, which I think was a 15 per cent rise, was it in the budget. So, that’ll be a bit more?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: That’s correct. It’s 15 per cent and inflation so 17.2 per cent.
DAVID SPEERS: Okay. What about some of the other payments like single parent payment and so on? Have you worked out those figures yet?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: We haven’t worked out those figures. Some of the other payments, like pension and Parenting Payment (Single) has a choice of indexation indicators. We’ve got to work through those. But CPI, of course is particularly high at the moment, and so it is likely that CPI will be the highest of the number of indicators that are looked at.
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