Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I have been handed up Minister Frydenberg's speech in the House, and what he says is that the bill:

… amends the Medicare Levy Act 1986 to increase the Medicare levy low-income thresholds for singles, families, single seniors and pensioners in line with increases in the consumer price index.

He then goes on to say that it is not proposed that the threshold for seniors and pensioners in couples will be increased 'at this time'. There is no explanation—absolutely no explanation—there, and nothing that you said, Senator Ryan, in your speech, went to that issue and explained that issue. You were too busy going through your ideological spin and your ideological issue of the day. So maybe you could come back and actually tell us why it is not proposed that the threshold for coupled and senior pensioners will be increased at this time. Why can you not explain the issue that we are concerned about?