Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

To continue: that will involve a test, including a carer questionnaire and a treating health professional questionnaire, which will be used to assess the functional ability behaviour and special care needs of children under 16 and the level of care provided by their carers. The government’s amendments contained in the primary bill have been supported by a number of key stakeholders, including Carers Australia, who told the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs inquiry that they saw:

… the introduction of the bill as an important step in addressing many of the unfair and inequitable rules and provisions that currently exist in the carer payment system and the broader income support system.

The National Disability Services representative stated:

I strongly think that the direction of this bill is the right one and in a number of ways it will allow more people to receive carer payment (child), and streamline the receipt of carer allowance for those who are not already receiving carer allowance as well.

It is significant that the amendments have been largely endorsed by key advocacy groups such as Carers Australia and National Disability Services as a step in the right direction when it comes to providing better support to carers of children with disability. Importantly, under these amendments, for the very first time eligibility for the payment will be extended to carers in respect of a child who requires care on a short-term, episodic basis. There will also be more generous arrangements for carers of children who are in hospital so the carers can keep their carer payment and, if payable, their carer allowance while their child is in hospital. This means that the current limit on payment in these circumstances of 63 days in a calendar year will no longer apply and will be replaced by a 12-week review cycle. These amendments will also see the qualification rules relaxed in the tragic situation where a carer is caring for a child with a terminal illness.

Overall, the changes contained in the primary bill build on the government’s firm commitment to better support and assist carers of children with a disability. By introducing these changes the government is extending financial assistance to more carers around the country, something that I am sure everyone in this place would support. The bill has the support of the Senate community affairs committee, which unanimously recommended that the bill be passed. These bills illustrate the government’s genuine commitment to ensuring that adequate financial assistance is granted to Australian carers. Before I commend the bills to the chamber, I would like to say that in his contribution Senator Fifield did quite a deal of rewriting of history regarding the Liberal Party’s contribution in this area. But I do welcome their support for this legislation. I commend these bills to the chamber.