Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Seniors Health Card and Other Measures) Bill 2014. The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is an important way for seniors to access affordable health services. It is a health care card which recognises the contribution of self-funded retirees. The card is available not only to people of age pension age who do not qualify for the pension but also to people who are on low incomes. After a lifetime of work and contribution to our nation, it is an important way of saying thank you to the many thousands of people who fund their own retirement. It is an important way of recognising the contribution that seniors make. It is an important way of recognising that many self-funded retirees are not on particularly high incomes. Some of them are on very low incomes and they need our help as well. The income threshold test is $50,000 for singles per year and $80,000 for couples. As the member for Holt has indicated, it offers some great benefits such as discounts on PBS medicines and cheaper medical and hospital expenses through the Medicare safety net.

It is staggering that the Labor Party is opposing this bill. Members on this side are quite shocked by the decision that Labor has made. Labor has decided to act in a very mean-spirited and nasty way to stop some 30,000 Australians accessing these important benefits. This is an important measure for seniors, and I draw particular attention to something the member for Ballarat said in her contribution. She said:

We do not believe that we should extend supports to people at the top, while at the same time taking money from those who are more vulnerable

The member for Ballarat has no concept of how this seniors card works. This is for people on low incomes. This is for people who need our help. This is for some 30,000 Australians who, rather than accessing medicines at something like $6.90, will now be paying $37.70 rising to $42.70. As I say, this is a mean-spirited and nasty decision and no matter what members opposite may think of our other measures—I will talk about those in a minute—this is unnecessary opposition to this bill. It shows that members opposite—it is quite evident that they are uncomfortable with this decision—are only interested in being obstructive. This is terrible, and I can assure the House that self-funded retirees, many of whom are on extremely low incomes, will not thank Labor for this decision.

Even the member for Bendigo acknowledged that some people in her electorate will be disappointed. What a shame that on a really sensible measure—to index the Seniors Health Card, to give more people access to it, to implement something that is sensible and is modest and is measured—those opposite could not join with us in extending this type of benefit to so many seniors, so many older Australians who need our help. Again we have this rubbish about $50,000 being a lot of money. The member for Ballarat saying that these are the people on the top shows that Labor simply has no idea. And many people are well under that level.

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