Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce says his personal experience of struggling to support two families on his $211,000 salary has given him a greater insight into the difficulties faced by unemployed Australians.
The former deputy prime minister has been forced to clarify his financial position after The Courier Mail reported that he's taken to turning off the heater at night, butchering his own sheep for meat and rarely eats out to make ends meet.
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The New England MP, who now has six children, also told the newspaper that he considers buying a cup of coffee a treat, but Mr Joyce says he's not looking for sympathy.
"I'm not skint. We are not handing the can around," Mr Joyce told reporters at Parliament House on Monday.
"I'm on an incredibly good salary, how someone gets by on $280 a week god only knows."
AAP
Mr Joyce said his personal money struggles since the breakdown of his first marriage had opened his eyes to the inadequacy of Newstart.
"That gives you a far greater sense of empathy than you had before and you can either use that for something positive and I'm trying to do that with this Newstart discussion," he said.
The former Nationals leader is actively lobbying his colleagues in the Coalition to support an increase to the Newstart payment, which hasn't been raised above inflation since 1994.
AAP
Mr Joyce's revelations ensure debate about the Newstart payment continues as Parliament sits this week, with Labor's Joel Fitzgibbon welcoming the contribution.
"Whatever the cause of Barnaby's epiphany, it is really good he has now acknowledged that after six years under this government, people are doing it very, very tough," Mr Fitzgibbon said.
One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson took a harsher approach, saying many people would want to be earning his wage.
"What a ridiculous stupid way to explain himself," she told Nine's Today program.
AAP
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