Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The Labor Party has run a lot of fear campaigns since we have come to government, but perhaps the worst fear campaign of them all is to suggest to the vulnerable pensioners of Australia that they are going to have their funding cut.

We heard it today from the Leader of the Opposition who came into this House and was asking questions of the Prime Minister, implying that pensioners were going to have $80 a fortnight cut from their pensions. It is just wrong. It is absolutely misleading and it is deliberately setting fear amongst pensioners across this country. Nothing like that is going to happen. The Leader of the Opposition knows that. The member for Jagajaga knows that. The member who just spoke knows that as well. It is a deliberate fear campaign, and it is atrocious. The member for Jagajaga said herself that we should not be playing politics with pensioners. She is exactly right, but unfortunately that is exactly what she has been doing.

I want to clear up once and for all what has actually happened with the pension since we came to government. What has actually happened is that the pension has gone up six percentage points in the 18 months since we were elected to government. That means, for example, that the pension for a married couple is now $78 higher. The pension for a single is $51.80 higher than what it was when we first came to government. We also know the pension goes up—

Ms Butler interjecting—

Ms Ryan interjecting—

They do not like listening to this. They do not like hearing the fact that the pension goes up each and every year. In fact, it goes up twice a year: in March and in September. It will go up again. This September, next March, the following September—

Ms Butler interjecting—

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