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

The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics Survey shows that there was a real problem in 2001-05 in terms of the standard of living of older Australians, including pensioners. In that same period the revenues going to the Howard government went through the roof. If you look at what happened with company tax in that period, you will see receipts went up from $31 billion to $49 billion. Despite the fact that the data showed clearly that we had an emerging problem of cost-of-living pressures for pensioners in that period and despite the fact that the public revenue of Australia in their period in office was awash with cash, the opposition did nothing about it. Here is the point for all members of this House to consider: they were the pressures in 2001-05—we have the data—and that is how much money the opposition had to deal with it, but on 11 August last year when, according to the Australian, Mal Brough took to cabinet a proposal for a $30 per week increase—

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