Labor attacks Hanson over welfare backflip

Pauline Hanson has struck a deal with the government to save the bereavement allowance, prompting outrage from Labor who accuse her of a backflip.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson in the Senate chamber.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been accused of backflipping on her welfare stance by Labor. (AAP)

Labor has pounced on Pauline Hanson's move to save a welfare payment for low-income earners whose partners die, slamming her for being "shamed" into a Senate backflip.

The One Nation leader successfully altered the government's welfare reform package on Tuesday to stop the bereavement allowance from being axed.

Senator Hanson's amendment came a day after her party voted to scrap the bereavement payment and a range of other measures including the wife pension, widow allowance and partner allowance.

She insisted her changes would leave no one worse off.

"Although the One Nation party voted the way we did last night, on reflection of it, this is why we put this amendment forward today," Senator Hanson said.

"I don't want to cause any pain or undue stress on people going through this time."

Labor Senator Murray Watt said Senator Hanson and her colleagues had scurried back to the Senate to fix the mess they had created a night earlier.

"They have been shamed into coming back into this chamber to reverse cuts to pensions and cuts to allowances that they voted for only last night," Senator Watt said.

The overall welfare package includes a major overhaul of compliance measures, including a demerit-point system for people who persistently dodge job-seeking obligations.

The legislation also seeks to tighten exemptions for drug and alcohol dependence, increase wait times for unemployment payments and axe the wife pension.

Two One Nation senators missed a vote on Monday night.

NSW Senator Brian Burston and WA's Peter Georgiou apologised before siding with the government to scrap the bereavement payment and a suite of other measures in the retaken vote.


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Source: AAP


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