Senator FIERRAVANTI-WELLS (New South Wales—Minister for International Development and the Pacific) (14:23): The coalition knows that the best form of welfare is a job. The government wants a welfare system that supports the most vulnerable, encourages those capable of work or study to do so, reduces intergenerational welfare dependency and is sustainable for the future. We have one of the best welfare transfer systems in the world. Australia targets a bigger share of its cash transfers to households in the bottom income quintile than any other OECD country. Coming to Newstart, calls to raise the rate of Newstart ignore the nature of the social security system, which is designed to target those in need. Over 99 per cent of Newstart recipients receive more than just the base rate of Newstart. This includes providing rent assistance to those in the private rental market and family tax benefits— The PRESIDENT: Senator Siewert on a point of order? Senator Siewert: I've given the minister a minute to read her pat answer. I asked a very direct question: is it unliveable and could she live on it? Could she please answer the question? The PRESIDENT: As I remind senators, when there are preambles to questions, it is entirely in order for ministers to address those as well. The minister is directly relevant to the question. Senator FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: As I was saying, this includes providing rent assistance to those in the private rental market and providing family tax benefits to those raising children. The combination of these supplementary payments often exceeds the value of the Newstart payment. The coalition knows that, as I said, the best form of welfare is a job, and under this government we have seen the largest increase in jobs since the GFC. For this reason, the system also allows recipients to earn income from work or other sources before their payment is affected. It is also important to note that many recipients of Newstart do not remain on the payment for long. Around two-thirds of those granted Newstart exit income support within 12 months. Our welfare system encourages those capable of work or study to do so while supporting vulnerable people within our society. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Siewert, a supplementary question.