Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
2:57 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to comments made by the Prime Minister that indexing the pension to only CPI is 'perfectly reasonable'. Does the Prime Minister also think it is perfectly reasonable for pensioners to suffer an $80-a-week cut to their pension within a decade?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
2:58 pm
Members opposite should not run around the country trying to scare people.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Jagajaga has asked her question, and we will now have silence to allow the Prime Minister to reply.
An opposition member interjecting—
Whoever said that will remind themselves that they will be out next.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Members opposite should not set out to mislead, to scare and to distort. Members opposite should accept that, under this government, pensions go up twice a year, every year.
Ms King interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Under this government, pensions go up twice a year every single year. What this government has done is to deliver an unprecedented benefit to the pensioners of Australia, because what we have done is scrap the carbon tax and we have kept every cent of the carbon tax compensation for pensioners, a very good deal for the pensioners of Australia. That is what they get from this government.
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table the Australian Council of Social Service paper that shows it is a cut of $80 a week.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
It is a matter of public record. The member knows perfectly well that if a matter is on a public record it is not available for tabling.