MOTIONS

Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (12:08): I stand to support the suspension motion from Senator Cash on behalf of His Majesty's loyal opposition. The government tries to tell the Australian public that they've got it all under control, that they are on the side of Australians doing it tough, that they've got Australian women and children's backs during this cost-of-living crisis, yet here we are, I don't know how many weeks after that hopeless budget from Jim Chalmers was handed down, trying to help the government clean up a mess of its own making.

And why are we doing this? Not because we want to show you up for the pathetic economic managers that you are, but to actually mean that the men and women, and the children, who are going to be subjected to severe economic detriment because of your failed policies. You knew prior to that budget that this widow's tax, this divorcee's tax, would impact those people, yet you did it anyway, because you thought no-one would notice, because you actually don't care.

Women who are entering divorce and doing the difficult financial settlement end up economically worse off. They also end up having to care for the children of that relationship, typically. And here they are going to be subjected to less in their financial settlement as a result of your government's derelict legislation.

We want to help you fix this. I have looked at the Red. There's not a lot on here that can't be delayed to actually fix this appalling neglect from your own budget so that not just widows but also the millions of Australians who are going through financial settlements as a result of relationship breakdown are protected.

It is typically women who end up homeless post divorce because of the lack of money coming out of the financial settlement. I know Senator Cash went to the details of women fleeing domestic violence who need our support. I think what's particularly galling is the fact that you did receive advice about this impact and you willingly and knowingly chose to ignore it.

That shows a careless and callous disregard for those people who are going through divorce, separation and the financial fallout of those situations—particularly on women and children—and for those who are dealing with the death of a spouse. When an estate has to be sold and those proceeds dispensed, you literally passed legislation that will mean the recipients of that estate will receive less money, and you don't care.

I hear a lot from those opposite about the care economy and about compassion. I hear, 'Why are the conservatives so callous?' Well, here we are, wanting to stand with those who are going through bereavement, whom you're wanting to tax, and those who are going through divorce and separation, which is the most traumatic thing a family can go through. The fallout impact on the children as a result of the financial losses is significant and long-term and something that we as a society have to end up dealing with.

We are here saying there is nothing on the Red today that cannot be put aside to help us help you—not because we want to embarrass you for your failures and your incompetence on economic management but to actually stand with those Australians who are negatively impacted by your flawed economic policies. So I would commend this motion to the Australian Senate and implore the Australian Greens to stand with the opposition to seek to suspend this chamber's work until we can actually help the government help themselves and make sure that divorcees, widows and those fleeing domestic violence won't be having negative financial impact as a result of Labor's legislation.