Margaret May (McPherson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

This government is a sham. They pretend they care about the Australian pensioner, but what will they do for the Australian pensioner in the immediate time? We have had a Senate review, we have had the Harmer review and now we are told we are having the Henry review. How many reviews do we need to have before the pensioners of this country get the support they need? They are struggling now. They do not need help tomorrow; they need it today. Today is when these pensioners need some help.

The government does not think this motion is urgent. I wonder what the pensioners of Australia think when they hear that their government does not believe their needs are urgent. This is a government that has only taken nine months to be out of touch with older Australians—nine months. And the minister stands here today and talks about a seniors bonus—a measure introduced by this side of the House when we were in government. They talk about a utilities allowance—another measure introduced by this side of the House, recognising what senior Australians need. But what are they going to do about the single rate pension? A $30 increase was supported by the Senate last night and brought into the House today, and we have the government sitting before us today and the minister saying: ‘This is not urgent. We need a review. These people do not need assistance today; they will have to wait until tomorrow.’ Well, I do not think the pensioners of this country can wait until tomorrow. They are going to have to wait until next year.

Where is the Prime Minister when we talk about older Australians? The minister talks about our shadow minister not being in the chamber—where is the Prime Minister of this country? Where is he? Missing in action, when the senior Australians of this country need his support. The government calls this a stunt. I do not think it is a stunt when we are talking about senior Australians and the cost-of-living pressures that they are under today. Look at the cost increases and the promises made by this government in the lead-up to last year’s election that the cost-of-living pressures would be relieved by this government. What has it done? Nothing but review after review after review, and still no relief for pensioners in this country. Pensioners are still being told they are going to have to wait until next year’s budget. The review will not put bread on the table. It will not pay the bills of single pensioners in this country.

And now we have a minister who comes before us today wanting to rewrite history. She talks about the seniors bonus and the utilities allowance—brought in by a coalition government, not by this government. This government is a disgrace. When it comes to senior Australians, it wants to just forget they exist, forget the needs of senior Australians and not assist them. It has a budget surplus left by the coalition government, a surplus that can be used today to immediately offset the living pressures on senior Australians in this country. You are a disgrace, and senior Australians listening to this today around the country will understand that this government does not care about their needs, their wants and their wishes. The majority of Australians support a $30 per week increase for senior Australians in this country and it is time this government took action and ensured that that happened today.

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