House debates Questions without Notice
Age Pension
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:44 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's earlier answers where he has again committed to cutting the indexation rate of the age pension. Why is the Prime Minister so determined to slug Australian pensioners while remaining so committed to his rolled-gold Paid Parental Leave scheme, which will pay $50,000 to millionaires?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
2:45 pm
We are doing the right thing by the pensioners of Australia because we have scrapped the carbon tax and kept the carbon tax compensation. The only one who wants to slug the pensioners of Australia is the Leader of the Opposition and those members sitting behind him, because they want to bring the carbon tax back.
That is what they want to do. They want to bring back the carbon tax to slug the pensioners of Australia. By contrast, we have scrapped the carbon tax and we have kept the carbon tax compensation, which means that every pensioner is significantly better off.
I just want to remind the Leader of the Opposition that what this government is trying to do is to build a strong and prosperous economy for a safe and secure Australia, and if we want a strong economy we have to have a budget surplus.
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
More slogans!
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I hear the member for Jagajaga saying 'more slogans'. Well, a budget surplus for a strong economy—that is the Leader of the Opposition's own statement.
Then, if we turn over the page, 'Australia's economic report card'.
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Where's your budget?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I am citing the Leader of the Opposition in 'Australia's economic report card': 'In these uncertain global times there is no clearer sign of a strong economy than a surplus.' It was true then, it is true now, it will be true tomorrow, it will be true the day after, it will be true next year and it will be true the year after that. These are economic truths. These are economic principles. These are the principles of good government, which members opposite sort of understood, but they never had the courage and the principal actually to deliver on them. We understand them and we are delivering on them.
I do not say that it is easy, but it is necessary. We do need, as the Leader of the Opposition understands, to get back into surplus if we are to have a strong economy. He knew it; we are doing it.