Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Farrell, for that. When the age pension was introduced, the average male life expectancy was 55 years. To ensure the pension is sustainable, the government supported the move, under Labor, to a higher pension age of 67 in 2009. While not yet legislated, increasing the age pension qualification age to 70 by 2035 remains government policy.

Labor's measure was, and is, to increase the pension age to 67 by 2023. It's laughable that those opposite, who extended the pension age, because it was responsible reform, now do not want to keep the pension sustainable. You were the ones who put this in legislation. We supported you, so don't hypocritically come in here and ask the sort of stupid, silly question you just asked.