Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on behalf of 700,000 pensioners who will be left waiting anxiously in the lead-up to Christmas before learning whether they will have their pension payments cut or will lose them altogether. The government cannot help short-changing pensioners. In every single budget, this Liberal government has tried to cut the pension. As mentioned in an article by Samantha Maiden on 16 October, the Prime Minister will be playing the Christmas Grinch with the changes to the age pension due to come into effect on 1 January 2017.

The insults do not stop there. I have many constituents in Hindmarsh who are very concerned about their livelihoods and yet today, in The Australian Financial Review, we see comments made by the CEO of Australia Post—a man who earns millions has taken the time to criticise workers over 50. The remarks that he made are appalling, and I ask that he withdraw them and apologise to the thousands of people I represent in my electorate who are 50 and over who are extremely good workers, extremely good people and have paid their taxes all their lives and have worked extremely hard. Those comments are reported in an article by Primrose Riordan in today's Fin Review. What is it about privileged people who are intent on hurting pensioners and those who do not earn as much as they do, or people close to retirement?

The new assets test is due to strip cash from seniors who have invested for their retirement. It is good thing that the family home will be exempt, but 700,000 pensioners can be affected by these changes. These changes have been on the cards for 18 months and we want to know why the Prime Minister cannot be up front with Australian pensioners and let them know what is happening early on so that they can make the changes they have to make in their lives. These people have worked hard, they have planned their retirement, they have made investment decisions based on current rules and now some may get a rude shock at Christmas. Labor voted against these Liberal government changes to the pension assets test. We opposed them in the parliament, but unfortunately the Greens and Liberals did a deal to cut the pension. Labor opposed this cut because we believe the policy is flawed.

Pensioners in Hindmarsh are crying out for relief from this government. This government has failed to adjust things like the deeming rates for more than 18 months. Pensioners and retirees deserve better than what this government is offering them. It is about time this government took heed and listened to what people in these electorates—pensioners who have worked all their lives—are saying. To attack these people who have worked and paid their taxes—and some have fought in wars on our behalf—is a deplorable way to treat them. These rates will be determined at the discretion of the Minister for Social Services. I ask the government to rethink its stance on this topic.