Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I had nearly finished my speech last week in relation to this matter. The Social Security and Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Commonwealth Seniors Health Card) Bill 2009 is important because it means that income, from whatever source, is used for the purpose of assessing entitlement for the Commonwealth seniors health card. It is important that income should be taken into consideration, regardless of how a person earned that income. The previous government did not adopt that attitude. They took the view that income from one source should not be taken into consideration for the calculation of the entitlement to the card. And they failed to engage in indexation—they abolished that during their tenure.

We have heard a lot of speeches from those opposite in relation to this particular matter, taking the view that somehow we are doing something which is inconsistent and that somehow we are doing something which is injurious to the livelihoods of so many people in Australia. But the truth of the matter is that we are being consistent and we are treating income in a fair and just way. We have provided enormously for those people who are earning an income and are taxpayers but who, as senior citizens, are receiving the bonuses under the Nation Building and Jobs Plan. Pensioners and senior citizens, many of whom actually earn incomes part-time, received bonuses last year as part of the Economic Security Strategy, which we handed down and announced in October last year. The Rudd government have provided significantly for our senior citizens. I also make mention of the fact that we plan, over the next four years, to inject something in the order of $41 billion into the aged-care sector to provide nursing-home care of $28 billion. HACC funding is included in that $41 billion, and that is a tremendous injection of funds to look after our senior citizens.

This particular legislation that is before the House today is important. I have dealt with seniors in my area. I have spoken at the Association of Independent Retirees in relation to this matter. I have spoken out, telling what our policy is in relation to these issues. I have spoken to pensioners groups and other seniors groups in my electorate to explain the government’s position. I think they understand that we are being consistent in this regard. Those opposite have made merry and made hay of what we are doing in this regard, but I think Australians understand that it should be taken into consideration whether a person earned an income digging ditches or sitting behind a computer in an office or from a superannuation or investment source. These things should be taken into consideration, as they are in so many areas of government entitlement—like pensions, taxation and child support payments. In the circumstances, this legislation is appropriate. It is responsible. We believe it is appropriate in all the circumstances. I commend the bill to the House.

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