Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Social Security and Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Commonwealth Seniors Health Card) Bill 2009. This bill once again shows Labor’s contempt for those who work hard all their lives to support themselves. This is in fact the politics of envy or class warfare. On this issue the Labor Party is showing no understanding of the ageing crisis in which we find ourselves in Australia. I would like to refer the members opposite to the Intergenerational report on ageing in Australia commissioned by Peter Costello and ask them whether they have any idea of how difficult the challenge is going to be for Australia to meet its commitments to its ageing population.

The proportion of those over 65 is expected to more than double in the next 40 years from 2.8 million to 7.2 million. The number of those over the age of 85 is expected to almost triple. There is an aged-care crisis in Australia and the minister is asleep at the wheel. I have previously spoken on this issue in the House and brought my concerns to the House. I refer to my own speech on 25 November last year on the Aged Care Amendment (2008 Measures No. 2) Bill. I raised issues which concern me about our ability to meet the challenge, which will be facing us in the next 10 or 20 years in Australia, to look after our aged.

Since that speech we have heard silence from the minister. I have been travelling around my electorate talking to people in the aged-care sector and they are very concerned that they do not have the ear of the minister. I have at least two aged-care facilities on my patch which are in danger of closing their doors. This may seem a roundabout way to speak about the Commonwealth seniors health card but, by attacking those who choose to support themselves, we are attacking the ability of future generations to support the aged-care industry in Australia. We need people who are prepared to make the savings and the sacrifices to provide for their own future. This bill attacks that.

The previous government understood this and totally overhauled the superannuation rules of Australia. Why? Because they knew what challenges were facing Australia over the next 20 years. Smart governments support those who work to remove themselves from the welfare system. It is no small achievement to save enough money during your working life to provide for your retirement. Now, with superannuation wealth being washed away in falling equity markets and with cash investments returning record lows, we have a government that is stripping away the few meagre benefits which are enjoyed by self-funded retirees, who make savings of $10 or $20 a week year after year, making the sacrifice. They do not ask for much; they just ask for a bit of acknowledgement from the government on how difficult it is to make those sacrifices. Part of the pledge of the previous government was to provide a Commonwealth seniors health card to those on the borderline to make sure they maintained their position.

This government continues to load debt onto the next generation of Australians. We have had cash splash 1 and 2, Pink Batts, a $6 billion car plan, school gyms instead of teachers and now we have the Ruddbank—all on borrowed money. The government is planning to leave our children at least $200 billion in debt, plus the state borrowings. In five years time this country’s governments will be in debt at least $300 billion. We know the government want kids at school to pay for their own school halls and libraries, and now it attacks those who are prepared to lessen the burden—self-funded retirees. It is all about satisfying the politics of today and the next election and not planning for the next generation over the next decade. The government has stopped saving and is spending savings.

This bill will change the means test to include superannuation payments, which means that around 278,000 people, including service veterans, are in danger of losing their Commonwealth seniors health card. Health card recipients receive concessions on prescriptions, a telephone allowance and a seniors allowance of $128 every three months to help deal with regular bills like power, water and car registration.

Self-funded retirees have often felt unloved. The previous government picked them up said, ‘We will encourage you; we will give you a hand.’ Just on the toughest part of the journey this government have let their hands go and let these people slip. They have failed them. They are victimising them. They are taking away the few meagre benefits they enjoy. The act of including superannuation in the income assessment is a sneaky move. It would have been so much easier just to lower the means test. But the government had hoped they could make this change and it would slip in under the radar. They hoped that it would not be picked up and that those who are retired in our communities would not feel anger at the government. They hoped that the electorate would be duped into believing those with adequate superannuation are wealthy. They are not wealthy; those with adequate superannuation are in fact Middle Australia. They are those who plan for the future. They are those who know they have the ability to help Australia. They have the ability to help future Australians and they are making their contributions. This bill rips away that tiny bit of support and encouragement that we have been giving to them. This is a class-driven attack on Middle Australia; it is also an attack on the future of Australia. It helps remove self-reliance. I oppose this bill.

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