Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister for ageing for her question, and I would make the following simple points in return. Firstly, the member might like to investigate and find out that the pension has actually been the subject of indexation. Indexation measures were delivered this week and a proportion of the utilities allowance, $128, was delivered this week. So she may want to get her facts right when she asks a question. Point No. 2: the shadow minister for ageing uses the surplus figure. Maybe the shadow minister for ageing might like to reflect on the fact that she is a member of a political party that is determined to destroy that surplus and is acting in the Senate each and every day to destroy that surplus.

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