Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Hansard source

In Australia—in Australia!—we know that this change to the age pension age unfairly hurts in particular those people in rural and remote Australia. I know the member for Mallee, who I'm glad to see is in the chamber, understands this issue. He's the only member of the National Party that's actually spoken out on this matter, although, like all members of the National Party, he did actually vote to increase the age pension age to 70. The median age at death for people living in remote Australia is around 73, compared to 82.3 years for Australians living in the major cities—so around 10 years difference. Once again I reinforce that if ever you wanted an indication of inequality it would be inequality in living a decent, long life.

What else is this Prime Minister so out of touch about? Of course, we know he wants to axe the energy supplement that goes to 1.7 million Australians, including carers.

Government members interjecting—

You've all voted for it: $365 a year out of the pockets of pensioners and carers. They want to cut payments to families. And—can you believe it?—they actually want to cut the bereavement allowance. When a pensioner's husband dies and they're finding it very hard to pay all the bills, that pensioner will be $1,300 worse off. Are you proud of that, government members? That is exactly what this government are doing. At the same time, they want to give massive tax cuts to big business—$65 billion to big business. Of course, they've already delivered tax cuts to millionaires and high-income earners. Once again, this is the story of this government: cut the payments to families, cut the payments to pensioners and carers, and at the same time give $65 billion to big business.

We know the government have tried over the last four years to rip up the social contract that exists between Australians. Remember how they wanted to say to young people who are unemployed, 'You'll be on nothing, absolutely nothing, for six months if you don't have a job'? We managed to defeat those horrific cuts, but all of us on this side know we cannot be complacent. We are not 'a nation of lifters and leaners'; Australians actually believe in a fair go. What Australians know is that we need to pursue full employment. We need social investment in our people and in health and education, inclusive growth—

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