Senator DUNIAM (Tasmania—Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries and Assistant Minister for Regional Tourism) (15:32): I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings: Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Extension of Coronavirus Support) Bill 2020 VET Student Payment Arrangements (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2020 I also table statements of reasons justifying the need for these bills to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statements incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The statements read as follows— SOCIAL SERVICES AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (EXTENSION OF CORONA VIRUS SUPPORT) BILL 2020 Purpose of the Bill The Bill: allows for the extension of the temporary COVID-19 Supplement to continue to be paid to all current recipients (including students and new apprentices in receipt of Youth Allowance) until 31 March 2021; allows for the temporary COVID-19 qualification rules for JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance that are associated with the payment of the COVID-19 Supplement to continue in their current form until 31 March 2021; provides that the temporary COVID-19 Supplement and the temporary COVID-19 related exemptions from the ordinary waiting period, newly arrived resident's waiting period and seasonal work preclusion period cannot be extended beyond 31 March 2021; permanently ends the temporary COVID-19 exemptions from the liquid assets test waiting period and assets tests, from 1 January 2021; allows certain specified provisions of the social security law to be temporarily modified by the Minister by disallowable legislative instrument until 31 March 2021 ( or until 16 April 2021 in relation to modifications to the nil rate period); introduces a discretionary power under the social security and veterans' entitlements assets tests to extend the principal home temporary absence provisions where a person, for reasons beyond their control, cannot return to Australia within the allowable absence period; and permits JobKeeper information provided to Services Australia on or before 28 March 2021 to continue to be used after that date. Reasons for Urgency The Bill must be passed during 2020 to permit the COVID-19 Supplement and temporary modifications to social security law to continue in their current form until 31 March 2021. VET STUDENT PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS (MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS) BILL Purpose of the Bill The Bill amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to implement measures to assist the Commonwealth to resolve outstanding matters that arose under the former VET FEEHELP scheme, and introduce measures that will further facilitate closure of the scheme. The Bill also amends the VET Student Loans Act 2016 to improve administration of the VET Student Loans program. Reasons for Urgency Passage for the Bill in the 2020 Spring sitting period is sought in order to give the sector sufficient notice that the Commonwealth will cease paying amounts of VET FEE-HELP to providers unless those amounts are reported by specified deadlines. This lead time is necessary and intended to influence the behaviour of providers to finalise data reporting, ensure that providers have sufficient notice of the change, and to manage perception of the change. Failure to give reasonable notice to providers may cause them to miss the specified deadlines and be unexpectedly out of pocket.