Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer outline for the House the economic benefits of the Economic Security Strategy payments that will start reaching families and pensioners from Monday?

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

I thank the member for her question. The Rudd government’s $10.4 billion Economic Security Strategy will provide relief for families and for pensioners and will strengthen the economy and create up to 75,000 jobs. From Monday, 8 December, the Economic Security Strategy will deliver a lump sum payment of $1,400 for single pensioners, $2,100 for pensioner couples and $1,000 for those receiving carer allowance. Families on family tax benefit A will also receive $1,000 per child. These payments are targeted towards pensioners and others in our community who are doing it the toughest and they are people who need this support. Something like four million pensioners, seniors and carers and two million Australian families will next week be receiving additional assistance.

We on this side of the House strongly support the Economic Security Strategy because it delivers support to those who need it most and it delivers it in a timely way when the economy requires it. This Economic Security Strategy is decisive and it is the early action that we need to protect our economy because of the fact that world growth is slowing. This country is better placed to withstand the fallout from the global financial crisis than many other countries, but of course it is difficult for us to resist the pull of the international global financial crisis. But with these payments, with the big cuts in interest rates and with the investments in health, education and infrastructure, all arms of policy are now directed towards creating jobs and buffering our nation from the worst that the world can throw at us. This government has taken decisive action, we have taken responsible action and we have taken it at a time that is absolutely necessary to strengthen our economy.

We know that those opposites have no alternative. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the Acting Leader of the Opposition, was on Lateline last night. She was asked by the host to name one alternative policy that the opposition had. And do you know what? She could not name one—not one during a seven- to 10-minute interview. Not one policy could she name last evening.

Those over there are prepared to sit on their hands in the middle of a global financial crisis. They cannot get fully behind the government’s Economic Security Strategy. What they want to do is take pot shots at that strategy and individual elements of it. But I would suggest that the Australian people are looking for a lot more from those opposite. They want them to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. I would urge them to get on board because this strategy is absolutely what this country needs at this time.