Ms Ita Mangan:

I did not answer Senator Moloney's question on separated couples. That all boils down to the precise arrangements and whether they are getting lone-parent payments or whether they are living apart. We would need to settle on many details for that. I understand the problem the Senator has outlined. If, for example, a separated couple are still legally married, they come under the married rules for taxes, etc. Once they become divorced, they are single parents rather than separated parents.

It is quite a complex issue. I do not see it as a major problem that cannot be resolved because we are already resolving it in all sorts of other areas. Does Ms Leonard wish to take the hassle?