Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Disability Reform) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Throsby very much for his question, because of the hard work he does representing pensioners in the Illawarra. Like him we believe that after a lifetime of work pensioners deserve to get that extra support to make sure that they can make ends meet. That is why this government, this side of the parliament, delivered the biggest increase to the pension in 100 years, opposed by those opposite and by the cabinet that Leader of the Opposition was a member of. This government actually delivered that very significant increase to the pension which, since 2009, has meant that pensioners are getting around $150 extra a fortnight—a very, very significant achievement by this government.

We also want to make sure that it is the big polluters that pay for their pollution, not pensioners. That is why, starting from today, pensioners are receiving extra money paid straight into their bank account. It will come over the next fortnight, generally on the pension day that people have. It will mean that single pensioners will be receiving an extra $250 and couple pensioners $380 per couple combined. From March next year this will become a permanent payment, delivered either fortnightly or quarterly as part of pensioners' usual payments.

As the Prime Minister indicated, this is a benefit that is going to 3.2 million pensioners. We know that this government wants to make sure that pensioners are helped. It is this Leader of the Opposition that is going to claw that money back, and all it is for those opposite is a big joke. You think taking money off pensioners to fill your $70 billion black hole is a big joke. Pensioners know that you are clawing it off them and you are going to do it as fast as you can.

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