Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The problem with this censure motion is that it is just based on a false premise. The charge is that, in relation to the bonus system, the government will not guarantee that pensioners and carers will not be financially worse off. We have made a very clear-cut commitment. When it comes to the bonus system, we have guaranteed that carers and pensioners will not be financially worse off as a result of the budget. That position was made absolutely clear by the government before parliament convened. It has been made absolutely clear on the Hansard here in parliament today that pensioners and carers, when it comes to their bonus payments, will not be a dollar worse off. Despite the fact that that assurance was provided prior to coming into the parliament, despite the fact that that assurance has been provided on at least four or five occasions in the parliament in responses to various questions legitimately asked by those opposite—we are here to be responsible to those who constitute the opposition—despite having said that time and time and time again, because it is in the prepositioning of the opposition tactics committee to have a censure motion on this matter, off they go. The answer that you wanted, the guarantee that you wanted provided, has been provided, and it has been done in absolute black-and-white terms.

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