Preface
On 12 March 1998 the Senate referred the following matter to the Legal
and Constitutional Legislation Committee for inquiry and report on or
before 2 April 1998:
The operation of the special benefit provisions relating to the newly
arrived residents waiting period.
The reference proceeded by way of an amendment to a motion to adopt the
report of the Senate in the Committee of the Whole in relation to the
Social Security Legislation Amendment (Youth Allowance) Bill 1997.
This amendment was moved following the Senate's rejection of some amendments
to the provisions of the Social Security Act 1991 proposed by Senator
A Bartlett. These amendments would have had the effect of exempting newly
arrived residents from the statutory two year waiting period in relation
to Special Benefit.
The Committee held a public hearing on 27 March 1998 in Canberra. Witnesses
who gave evidence to that hearing are listed at Appendix 2. The Committee
received 9 submissions on the issue and these are listed at Appendix
1.
Senator Eric Abetz
Chair
April 1998