Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

This is a huge package that seeks to address a large number of issues. You have correctly identified a range of other issues that remain. This is one of them, but there are the mental illness issues et cetera. I am not in a position to say to you that the minister is focused on dealing with this next year. I certainly can raise the issue with her. She is a minister who will look to tackle all the issues in her portfolio with a reforming zeal; but, equally, you cannot do everything at once. As you have acknowledged, this is an important and big package. You have identified a number of issues which are issues in this space that require solutions or require us to look at whether better public policy can be applied, but I am not in a position to be able to say to you that there is a time line or how the minister intends to handle that, because I just do not have that advice. We acknowledge that there is a problem there that you have rightly raised, but I am not authorised to give you an assurance of the sort you are looking for other than that it is on the agenda, you will be able to pursue it and the government has acknowledged that it is one of those issues that are thrown up as part of this carer payment issue.