Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Shortland electorate is one of the oldest electorates in Australia. It has over 19.8 per cent of people over the age of 65 years and an overwhelming majority of these people receive the age pension. Labor understands that pensioners need and deserve a decent income, one that allows them to buy food, visit the doctor, pay their electricity bills, their gas bills and their water bills. On this side of the parliament we do not believe that just because you are a pensioner you should live in poverty. That is why the Rudd government delivered the biggest increase to pensioners since its introduction. Labor is committed to ensuring pensioners continue to receive a decent income. We on this side of the House do not believe that pensioners should be targeted by the Abbott government cuts.

Minister Kevin Andrews and Treasurer Hockey have been manufacturing a crisis and creating widespread fear amongst pensioners—Treasurer Hockey with his 'age of entitlement' and softening up the Australian people in order to wreak cuts upon them, and Minister Andrews with his misinformation about a welfare crisis with his statements that 'Australia is at risk of becoming a welfare state like "nations in Europe"'. Welfare spending is actually well below other countries. Welfare spending in Australia accounted for 8.6 per cent of GDP in 2013 compared to the OECD average of 13 per cent. Madam Deputy Speaker, it is hardly a crisis—

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