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

I am absolutely committed to a strong and sustainable social security safety net. Under this government pensions will go up twice a year every year. The idea that somehow there are cuts to pensions is simply false. Never ever will any pension go down. The pension will go up twice a year every year. It will go up by the same indexation method that the member who asked the question put in place for family tax benefits. If the member who asked the question thought it was good enough for families, why isn't it good enough for pensioners? If it was so good for families that the member who asked the question put it in place, why isn't it right and proper for pensioners?

This is a document which sets out the challenges and the opportunities facing our country. We can grasp a much better future, we really can. What we have to do is ensure that over time we live within our means. It really reflects poorly on members opposite who, having criticised our policy, have come up with absolutely no policy of their own, not a single policy, not a word of a positive policy from members opposite. When the member who asked the question was in government—

Ms Butler interjecting—

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