Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
2:31 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's statement to the House yesterday that cutting support to the orphans of war veterans was implementing an election commitment. Precisely where and when did the Prime Minister announce that this specific payment to the widows and orphans of war veterans would be cut under a callous Abbott government?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
No specific payment to veterans' families is being cut. This is simply untrue. Now for the—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
If it assists the Prime Minister, there is a specific repeal instrument that deals exactly, exactly with what this question refers to.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The Veterans' Children Education Scheme continues, the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme continues. Under these schemes, eligible secondary students aged between 16 and 25 and still living at home receive fortnightly non-means tested payments.
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order on relevance.
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
That was not on relevance.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
In that case, what was it? It was an abuse of standing orders.
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
This one is on relevance. I draw the Prime Minister's attention to the question—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
I am sorry; I took the prior one as relevance. The member will resume her seat. The Prime Minister has the call.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Under these schemes, eligible secondary students receive non-means tested payments of between $230.70 and $277.40 per fortnight. Students living independently can receive up to $421.40 per fortnight. Payments to orphans are up to $512 per fortnight. In addition to that, a special financial assistance payment of up to $4,000 a year is also payable and up to $2,000 in additional tuition fees can also be funded. We were absolutely up-front that the income support bonus was going.
Opposition members: When?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
We were absolutely up-front about the fact that the income support bonus was going. If I may say so, we were quite bold before the election, because we said that we were going to remove a payment that went to 1.2 million people.
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There is too much noise on my left. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will desist.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Maybe members opposite did not notice but we said that this particular payment that goes to 1.2 million people was going. So we were absolutely—
Mr Champion interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Wakefield will remove himself under standing order 94(a).
The member for Wakefield then left the chamber—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
We were absolutely up-front that the income support bonus was going.
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
When did you tell people?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Repeatedly. We also told—
Mr Thistlethwaite interjecting—
Maybe the Leader for the Opposition was out to lunch, but it was our policy to remove the income support bonus.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
What we said we would do before the election we will do after the election.
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
I seek leave to table a statement from the state president of the RSL who did not know about—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
I call the Leader of the House. Leave is not granted. The member for Dobell has the call.