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

I certainly want Australians to achieve their economic potential. That is what I want. I want all Australians to achieve their economic potential and, for some of them, perhaps for many of them, that will mean working to an age that might not have been readily thought of in times past, because we are living longer and healthier lives. We are absolutely living longer and healthier lives. In the days when the pension age was set at 65, life expectancy at birth was under 60. Today, it is over 80. It is going up all the time, and healthy life expectancy is improving even faster and further. I acknowledge that. Members opposite used to acknowledge that. Early in their time in government they raised the pension age to 67. When they proposed this, they received full support from the then opposition, now the government.

When members opposite came up with sensible policies we supported of them, because that is what an intelligent and constructive political party does. When its opposition proposes something intelligent and constructive, it engages and it supports. That is what it does.

See this speech in context