Ministers

Portfolio responsibilities

Minister Porter is responsible for:

• Overall responsibility for the Social Services portfolio, including policy, budget and expenditure matters and deregulation
• Income Support for Seniors, Vulnerable People, People in Special Circumstances, People of Working Age and Students, including Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance and Austudy/ABSTUDY
• Implementation of the Australian Priority Investment Approach
• Payments and allowances for people with disability and their carers, including Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment
• International Social Security Agreements
• Allowances and Concessions
• Social Security means test policy, nominee policy, advance payment policy and compensation provisions
• National Disability Insurance Scheme
• Policy to support people with Disability and their Carers, the National Disability Strategy and Disability Employment Reform Policy
• Business Services Wage Assessment Tool Policy
• Policy, payments and programs to support families, children and communities
• Programs and services to reduce violence against women and their children
• Child Support Policy
• Housing and Homelessness policy and programs
• The Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership
• Whole-of-Government Grants Hub and DSS Data Exchange
• Income Management (Policy) and the Cashless Debit Card
• Pay Equity in the Social and Communities Services Sector
• Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services Policy

Minister Tudge is responsible for the following discrete policy issues (these are in addition to responsibilities for Human Services):

• Progress the Cashless Debit Card trials
• Gambling, Wagering and Gaming
• Implementation of the Compulsory Rent Deduction scheme
• Strengthening the delivery of welfare payments and delivering improved social outcomes

Assistant Minister Prentice is responsible for:

• Disability, Mental Health and Carers Programs, including the national carer gateway
• Disability employment programs, including Australian Disability Enterprises, Disability Employment Services and the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool Payment Scheme
• Peak body and stakeholder engagement with the disability and carers sector, including Co-Chair of the National Disability and Carers Advisory Council
• The Specialist Disability Accommodation Initiative
• Support the transitioning of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to full scheme, including:
  • Engagement with the National Disability Insurance Agency, sector and stakeholders
  • Ensuring Indigenous Australians have appropriate access to the Scheme

Assistant Minister Seselja is responsible for:

• Settlement Services and Programs, including the settlement of the additional intake of Syrian and Iraqi humanitarian refugees
• Multicultural affairs, including social cohesion and promoting benefits to prospective migrants and visitors
• Domestic and Intercountry adoption, including strengthening Government support through improved referral pathways and family support services
• Implement the Third Action Plan 2015-18 under the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children
• Housing and homelessness

Former Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries

Former Ministerial and Parliamentary Secretary media releases and speeches are available from the Archived Media site.