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

My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Minister, how will the government support pensioners under its plan to put a price on carbon pollution? What are the risks to this support? How is the government responding to this?

Mr Ewen Jones interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Herbert is now warned!

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Shortland for her question. She knows that this government has been very active in supporting pensioners to make sure we can do everything possible to help them balance their budgets. Of course, we intend to support pensioners again by providing real and permanent increases to the pension as we put a price on carbon. By contrast, of course, this Leader of the Opposition is determined to do everything he possibly can to leave pensioners behind in his desperate scramble for the Lodge. Of course, we know it was this Leader of the Opposition in the previous Howard government that let the pension decline over 12 years that they were in government. It was this Leader of the Opposition, when he was a member of the Howard cabinet, who actually refused to increase the pension—refused and opposed a proposal to increase the pension that came before their cabinet. Now this Leader of the Opposition is proposing to leave pensioners behind yet again. He wants to claw back the pension increase that this government will deliver to pensioners as part of our carbon reforms. It was this Leader of the Opposition who, when asked at a doorstop in Perth whether he would claw back the pension increases that we are delivering, said, 'I make no apologies for saying "yes".' This Leader of the Opposition, as he wanders off, does not care two hoots about pensioners. He is the one who is going to claw back the pension increase that we intend to give to pensioners.

Under our plan we intend to deliver an increase to 3.4 million Australian pensioners to make sure that they get the protection and increases they need in their pensions. Pensioners will actually get, through a new Clean Energy Advance, a lump-sum payment which the opposition intends to claw back—to take back—from pensioners. There will be an increase of $250 for single pensioners, which will be clawed back by the Leader of the Opposition, and an increase of $180 for each member of a couple, which of course will be clawed back by those opposite.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Those opposite think it is a joke that pensioners are going to be frightened by their ridiculous behaviour here today. This government will deliver to pensioners. Those opposite will do what they always do, frighten pensioners and claw back the increases, which will then see pensioners go backwards.