Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy to withdraw and I am sorry that I did make that reference in respect of the member for Watson. I should not have done it. But he, equally, should not try to scare pensioners.

The pension is not being cut. The pension will not be cut. Every six months under this government the pension will go up. As the Minister for Social Services has just pointed out, in March the single pension went up by some $15 and the couple pension went up by some $12. And it will happen in September and it will happen next March and it will happen next September. This will happen each and every year. Yes, come September 2017, the pension will increase by CPI as opposed to male total average weekly earnings. The best thing that we can do for the pensioners of Australia is make the pension sustainable. The best thing we can do for all Australians is get the budget back under control. The best thing we can do for our country, to honour our commitments, is take the necessary and the difficult decisions needed to secure this country's future. That is what we are doing: we are securing this country's future. And what are members opposite doing? They are worrying about who might be in what room, at what time, in this parliament. Really and truly, this man is no Bob Hawke. He is no Bob Hawke; he is no leader; and he has no answers for the difficulties our country faces.

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