Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I hear some members opposite up the back supporting it. It attacks the most vulnerable, whether they live in Australia or outside Australia. It slashes the money that goes to disadvantaged people in disadvantaged countries—money to fight malaria and address child and maternal health and mortality.

This budget is a budget of betrayal. No-one is spared, be they old or young. There are cuts to health and education. Actually, the one thing about this budget is that nobody misses out—unless you earn over $100,000 a year; If you are a high-income earner and you are going to have a baby, this government will give you $50,000.

There are cuts to the seniors supplement—seniors are just about to receive their last seniors supplement—and changes to pension indexation. Members on the other side say that there is no change to the pension. Well, legislation went through this parliament this week that changes the indexation method for the pension. That will mean that, within a 10-year period, pensioners will get on average $80 less a week.

The decision to increase the eligibility age to 70 for pensioners was made without any consultation whatsoever. Good policy is developed by consultation and by doing research before you introduce it. Today we hear about the cut to the dementia supplement. Dementia is a growing epidemic within this country, and this government seeks to ignore it.

Family tax benefit—it does not miss out on Australian families; it is slashing the family tax benefit. If you have two children and you are a stay-at-home mum, $60,000 is gone. Or like the family that came to see me the other week who—

Government members: $60,000?

$6,000—they stand condemned. Like the family that came to see me last week where the wife was a carer for the husband and they have a disabled child—$3,000 going, and they are struggling to survive at the moment.

No schoolkids bonus—those on the other side of this House want to see the schoolkids bonus go. They want to make it harder for families. Young people—Youth Allowance, eligibility for Newstart raised from 22 to 24 years of age; and then the harsh six-month period where people will receive absolutely no income at all and, at the same time, being subject to the work test. They can be in further breach and that six-month period can be extended—all because of a manufactured economic crisis.

Australia has a triple-A rating. It spends less on welfare than any other OECD country except Iceland. In 2001, we spent 23 per cent of our GDP on welfare and that has gone down to 18.5 per cent. This government stands condemned and it does nothing— (Time expired)

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