Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. This side of the House believe that there is a need for very substantial action when it comes to the base rate of the pension. We have said that repeatedly. But it has to be done in a measured way, it has to be done in a proper way, it has to be done in a financially responsible way and it has to be done in a way which does not leave behind two million Australian pensioners. That is what those opposite are proposing—to leave behind two million Australian pensioners.

We have not had, on any occasion in the last nine months, one funded alternative proposal from those in the opposition; not one. What we have had is act of economic irresponsibility after act of economic irresponsibility. We on this side of the House will do the right thing by Australian pensioners and the right thing by the nation in the long term. And the right thing by the nation is the right thing by Australian pensioners. To get a sustainable, funded costing into the base rate of the pension is, indeed, very complex. It has to be done properly. It has to be done in such a way that we do not leave two million Australian pensioners behind. And it has to be done in a financially responsible way. That is why, in the budget, we put forward the $500 bonus for age pensioners. I wish we could have done more. We also increased the utilities allowance by $400 for all pensioners.

Some of us have been around the House a while and some of us have a long memory about the new-found interest in pensioners by those opposite. I can well recall for year after year ministers in the previous government coming into this House and denigrating disability support pensioners. I can remember it very well. Disability support pensioners, along with the carers, are deserving of justice in this review, just as everyone else is deserving of justice in this review. And justice will be delivered by those on this side of the House. We have had a 100-year history in defending the rights of people on low and fixed incomes. We will do the right thing. You can do the short-term thing. We will do the right thing in the long term, and we will do the right thing by the nation and the pensioners of Australia.

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