Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:45 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. This morning I met with Liz St Clare Long. She is a war widow whose husband actually served in Vietnam. Ms Long told me that her husband voted for the coalition at the last election based upon the Prime Minister's promise that pensions would not be cut. Why has the Prime Minister broken his word to war widows and veterans by cutting the indexation rate of war widows' pensions?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Yet again, the Leader of the Opposition is simply wrong. Pensions go up every single year. They go up not once but twice every single year. Next month pensions will go up, as they always go up every September.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Next March pensions will go up, as they always go up every March. Every September pensions will go up. Every March pensions will go up. The Leader of the Opposition should stop running around the country scaring people with lies. That is what the Leader of the Opposition is doing—he is running around the country scaring people with lies. He should stop doing it.
Mr Shorten interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will desist his chatter.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
What he should have said to the lady that he spoke to is not only will pensions continue to go up every six months under this government but this government has abolished the carbon tax. It has kept the carbon tax compensation, so the average household is $550 a year better off thanks to this government. This is a government which keeps its commitments. This is a government which delivers a better deal for all Australians, including pensioners and war pensioners.
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I am very happy to occupy this if it stops you from telling more of your outrageous fibs.
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Madam Speaker, I seek to table the cuts to veterans' affairs by this promise-breaking Prime Minister.