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| Childcare and savings bill in jeopardy as Nick Xenophon vows to vote against it | Childcare and savings bill in jeopardy as Nick Xenophon vows to vote against it |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The independent senator Nick Xenophon says his team of three senators will not support the Turnbull government’s childcare and omnibus savings bill package. | The independent senator Nick Xenophon says his team of three senators will not support the Turnbull government’s childcare and omnibus savings bill package. |
| It has effectively killed the government’s attempt to force nearly $4bn in savings through the Senate. Neither Labor nor the Greens will support the bill as it stands. | |
| “I understand there are all sorts of consequences of this decision,” Xenophon told the ABC’s Radio National program on Tuesday. “We’re not saying every savings measure should not be passed. We’re saying that the trade-off, in respect of the family tax benefits and the childcare package, as good as it is, comes at too high a cost. | “I understand there are all sorts of consequences of this decision,” Xenophon told the ABC’s Radio National program on Tuesday. “We’re not saying every savings measure should not be passed. We’re saying that the trade-off, in respect of the family tax benefits and the childcare package, as good as it is, comes at too high a cost. |
| “We want to see if there are other savings measures that won’t have that harsh effect on families.” | “We want to see if there are other savings measures that won’t have that harsh effect on families.” |
| The government’s omnibus savings package includes multibillion-dollar cuts to family tax benefits, paid parental leave and unemployment payments, with some of that money used to pay for extra funding for childcare. | The government’s omnibus savings package includes multibillion-dollar cuts to family tax benefits, paid parental leave and unemployment payments, with some of that money used to pay for extra funding for childcare. |
| The government ignited a political brawl last week by dusting off previously rejected cuts to welfare benefits, such as making young jobseekers wait a month before they can access benefits, and linking them to its long-awaited childcare reform package. | The government ignited a political brawl last week by dusting off previously rejected cuts to welfare benefits, such as making young jobseekers wait a month before they can access benefits, and linking them to its long-awaited childcare reform package. |
| Then, on Monday afternoon, the government tried to ramp up pressure on the Senate crossbench – after months of negotiations – to pass its welfare cuts associated with its childcare package by announcing $3bn of the proposed savings package would be allocated to a special account to fund the full roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. | Then, on Monday afternoon, the government tried to ramp up pressure on the Senate crossbench – after months of negotiations – to pass its welfare cuts associated with its childcare package by announcing $3bn of the proposed savings package would be allocated to a special account to fund the full roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. |
| The move sparked an angry reaction from political opponents and disability advocates, with Xenophon warning on Monday it was “dumb policy and dumb politics” to link future funding of the NDIS with billions in welfare cuts. | The move sparked an angry reaction from political opponents and disability advocates, with Xenophon warning on Monday it was “dumb policy and dumb politics” to link future funding of the NDIS with billions in welfare cuts. |
| “As negotiating tactics go, this is about as subtle as a sledgehammer,” he told Guardian Australia. | “As negotiating tactics go, this is about as subtle as a sledgehammer,” he told Guardian Australia. |
| He said the government “should not pit vulnerable Australians currently receiving family tax benefit against another group of vulnerable Australians wanting to access the NDIS”, saying the move potentially complicated his support for the package. | He said the government “should not pit vulnerable Australians currently receiving family tax benefit against another group of vulnerable Australians wanting to access the NDIS”, saying the move potentially complicated his support for the package. |
| Xenophon said he would continue talking with the government. | Xenophon said he would continue talking with the government. |
| Christian Porter, the social services minister, told ABC radio on Tuesday he wanted to have another talk with Xenophon. | Christian Porter, the social services minister, told ABC radio on Tuesday he wanted to have another talk with Xenophon. |
| “[Xenophon] does not consider it is a mechanism that he can support to find savings inside the family tax benefit system to pay for childcare,” Porter said. “We’ve been very clear on that from the beginning. We want to keep working to make sure than people benefit from the childcare reforms which again, as Nick noted, seem to be widely lauded. | “[Xenophon] does not consider it is a mechanism that he can support to find savings inside the family tax benefit system to pay for childcare,” Porter said. “We’ve been very clear on that from the beginning. We want to keep working to make sure than people benefit from the childcare reforms which again, as Nick noted, seem to be widely lauded. |
| “There are 1 million Australian families who’d benefit from those childcare reforms and they are particularly focused on ensuring that families and mums who are less well off but who are working and want to work more, or who want to engage in the workforce for the first time, disproportionately benefited.” | “There are 1 million Australian families who’d benefit from those childcare reforms and they are particularly focused on ensuring that families and mums who are less well off but who are working and want to work more, or who want to engage in the workforce for the first time, disproportionately benefited.” |
| The Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie criticised the bill on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday, saying: “I can tell you what they can go and do with their omnibus – they can stick it where it fits.” | The Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie criticised the bill on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday, saying: “I can tell you what they can go and do with their omnibus – they can stick it where it fits.” |