Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

The minister asked what the coalition is committed to, and I am more than happy to respond. We are committed to the fair indexation of DFRDB and DFRB pensions. We took it to the 2010 election. In response to that, we then put a private member's bill in, which of course the Labor Party voted against. Then the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, recommitted the coalition a number of months ago at the Bendigo RSL to the position that we will index fairly—in the same way the age pension is indexed—the DFRDB and DFRB pensions. You asked what we are committed to, Minister. That is what we are committed to. My question to you, Minister, is: are you committed? You have asked for the coalition to say upfront right now what we are committed to, and I have just told you what we are going to do. We are committed to it. We will do it in the first year of an Abbott government. Minister, are you committed to the fair indexation of DFRDB and DFRB pensions? Will you commit right now in the House, as you have asked the opposition to do—today, now—to index the DFRDB and DFRB pensions in the same way as the age pension, as you led the veteran community to believe that you would do prior to the 2007 election?

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