Chalmers warns One Nation super plan would cut retirement savings

Jim Chalmers has accused One Nation of wanting to "end superannuation as we know it" by allowing renters or mortgage holder to access some of their super early.

The minor party has proposed giving people a choice to divert 3 per cent of their 12 per cent compulsory superannuation contribution to boost their income. The opt-in scheme could apply for up to three years.

The treasurer is no fan of this idea and made his way down to the House of Representatives doors (where reporters are stationed to lob questions at arriving MPs) to make his feelings known.

"It's now beyond doubt that any Coalition government with One Nation in it will cut your super. This means less money and less economic security for millions of Australian workers," he says.

"Every time One Nation is asked to support the financial interests of Australian workers, they oppose the financial interests of Australian workers. By ending super as we know it, by making Australian workers poorer as a consequence … this is exactly why One Nation poses an unacceptable and dangerous risk to Australian workers."

Communications Minister Anika Wells isn't giving much away when it comes to the design of a proposed plan to allow Australians to opt out of social media algorithms.

The plan is part of the government's digital duty of care legislation which is expected to be introduced to parliament later this week.

Wells says it's about giving Australians "more choice" about what they see on their social media feeds. But how would it work? She wouldn't say.

"That's something we'll work through with our experts … but the policy intent is clear. Australians want more choice. We want to give that to them and we want to hold big tech to account," she says.

Labor frontbencher Mark Butler is rejecting claims the introduction of an opt-out algorithm amounts to censorship.

The government's digital duty of care legislation will be introduced to parliament later this week and is expected to create an opt-out system so users can turn off algorithms on social media.

But the Coalition is concerned the laws would hand the minister too much power to determine what constitutes online harm.

Speaking with ABC Radio National Breakfast, Butler said the change is pretty "unremarkable" as he dismissed the opposition's claim.

"It's pretty unremarkable really to expect that big companies have a duty of care not to harm Australian citizens, particularly frankly young Australians," he says.

"You know, the idea is that this is some censorship or infringement of civil liberties almost harks back to the days of the 1970s when people were protesting about seatbelts being introduced to cars."

Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume has dismissed One Nation's super proposal as nothing more than a "headline".

The minor party wants to grant workers with a mortgage or paying rent access to a portion of their superannuation contributions as a pay boost.

She said One Nation had a lot of questions to answer on how this policy would interact with a person's super balance or their concessional caps.

"This so far is nothing more than a headline. It hasn't really been explained," she tells News Breakfast.

"One Nation does have a bit of a habit of putting out a headline and putting out no details and they don't think this is a serious thing."

Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume is concerned a proposal for social media users to turn off their algorithm could result in government overreach.

The digital duty of care legislation, expected to be introduced to parliament this week, will create an opt-out system so users can turn off algorithms on social media.

Hume tells ABC News Breakfast she's concerned the draft laws hand the minister too much power.

"We don't feel that the minister should have the powers to determine what is and is not online harm ... particularly without any parliamentary scrutiny. That would be of considerable concern," she says.

"Now, we haven't seen anything about this legislation. We'll wait to see what it is that the government proposes. But of course, you could understand why there would be a natural suspicion. When the government tries to control the internet, it invetibly fails."

It's probably no surprise that Labor's Tanya Plibersek is not a fan of One Nation's super proposal.

"It's obvious One Nation wants you to raid your super instead of getting a pay increase. We support higher wages and better super when you retire," she tells Seven.

She argues that if you opted in to the minor party's plan, which would grant workers paying rent or with a mortgage access to a quarter of their super contribution, you would be "thousands of dollars worse off in retirement".

Barnaby Joyce was out and about early this morning, defending One Nation's push to allow workers to access a portion of their super as a pay boost.

The minor party's treasury spokesman tells Seven the current system where a person applies for early access to their super in times of hardship is "incredibly convoluted".

He argued that even when the tax office grants funds due to hardship, such as to pay for medical treatment or to prevent the foreclosure or forced sale of your home, it's taxed between 17 and 22 per cent.

Asked if One Nation should spell out to people that taking money out of your super now would affect your balance in the future, Joyce says "people are competent enough to work that out for themselves".

"People aren't stupid. We give them credit for more brains than the Labor Party does," he says.

"This is about giving you your own money."

Communications Minister Anika Wells is urging parliament to pass laws this sitting week to strengthen Australia's social media age restrictions for under-16s.

Labor's bill to bolster the eSafety Commissioner's information-gathering powers, and double the maximum penalties for tech companies that breach the social media minimum age law, was introduced in June.

However, the bill hit a hurdle in the Senate, after the Coalition and Greens referred it to an eight-week inquiry.

The committee has since recommended the bill pass.

Wells says parliament needs to "put politics to the side", and pass the legislation when it goes before the Senate on Tuesday.

"Australian kids and parents needed these laws eight weeks ago," she says in a statement.

"This is the kind of dawdling and delay that has enabled social media companies to get away with harming our kids for so long."

This week an exposure draft of the long-awaited Digital Duty of Care is also expected to be released, as Labor steps up efforts to tackle online harm.

Australians paying rent or a mortgage would be given a choice to divert a portion of their superannuation to boost their income for up to three years under a One Nation proposal.

Under the policy, the full 12 per cent compulsory super contribution would still be paid by employers but 3 per cent would be paid directly to a person by the super fund, if they opt in.

The payments would still be subject to the concessional tax rate of 15 per cent, rather than the higher personal income tax rate.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says the plan is aimed at giving Australians "breathing room" amid cost-of-living pressures.

"That's a real boost to help you pay the rent or the mortgage, leaving more room for groceries, power bills and the costs of raising a family. Your existing super won't be touched. Not one dollar," she said.

"This only applies to future contributions. If you take the boost, at least 9 per cent will continue going towards your retirement and the choice is limited to three years."

Hello friends. Welcome to our politics live blog. I'm Courtney Gould from the ABC's Parliament House team, here to guide you through the day.

Politicians are already walking the halls of Parliament House as another sitting fortnight is upon us. The government wants to spend the week talking up its plans to crack down on tech giants through toughening up its social media ban and the digital duty of care.

Meanwhile, after teasing it for a couple of weeks, One Nation has finally dropped its superannuation policy. More on that very shortly.

It's going to be a busy week, so grab a coffee and let's get blogging.