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

One year ago, they had this matter before the cabinet. After 12 years in office—and therefore, I presume, a continued determination to act on the age pension—what did the member for Higgins, the member for Wentworth, the member for Bradfield and the member for Curtin have to say about it when the matter was before the cabinet one year ago? We can only assume from the actions which came from that cabinet that the answer is: nothing. What has changed in the last month or so is that a certain member of the opposition is particularly concerned about the moves against him on the question of the leadership. Let us go to the substance of the proposal by those opposite. What about the 2.2 million other Australians who depend on the pension? You put forward a proposal which goes to a group of 900,000 worthy Australians. What do you say, however, to the group of 2.2 million other Australians who are carers, widows or in receipt of the disability support pension? We have a program of reform on this. We will deal with it in the proper way, not opportunistically like those opposite.

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