Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

15.6 per cent, Prime Minister, which compares with only 1.2 per cent when the Labor Party was in government—15.6 per cent compared to a miserly 1.2 per cent. This government, for the first time, has indexed pensions, including the old age pension and the sole parent pension, to male total average weekly earnings, so as real wages in Australia have increased so too have pensions.

The member for Canning asked me a question about whether I was aware of any forecasts for growth in wages and pensions. In this context, I note a letter which was written by the Leader of the Opposition to pensioners in his electorate of Brand. It is a letter, written in November 2005, in which the Leader of the Opposition said, ‘The Howard government’s industrial relations changes will lead to lower increases in the minimum wage which will in turn bring down the male total average weekly earnings, thereby directly hitting the hip pockets of pensioners.’

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