Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The age pension is the backbone of the lives of many retired Australians not just in my electorate but right around Australia. It's a safety net, and it's a guaranteed hand-up for those who have spent their lives contributing to our nation and to our work force. Young fellows like me in their mid-40s—I'm still there—have superannuation if we're working. Even if we've got the minimum contribution of 9½ per cent, when we get to retirement age of 67—which Labor raised it to, by the way—we'll have money from superannuation that we can use. You know what? That's actually the pension age, but even if we retired when we were 63, we could use our superannuation. We could draw down on that and use it for five, six, seven or eight years. The further that goes, the greater job that we're doing for the taxpayer, which is really important.

It has been difficult for pensioners to receive an income from employment and not have their pension reduced. Many pensioners in my electorate have extensive experience in a wide range of fields and can still make a valuable contribution to the workforce—because of their experience there's a lot that they can offer—but asset testing and income deductions don't always make it worthwhile. When you see job applications online today, employers are looking for experience. They'd do well to hire older Australians, because statistics show that they have fewer sick days, and they've also got a lot to contribute and to pass on to younger Australians whom they can mentor. Many people with decades of experience can ensure the workforce remains sustainable, and they can pass on career and life lessons to younger generations. So it's important that we, as a government, continue to encourage older Australians to stay engaged in the workforce for as long as they choose to, and many people in my electorate do choose to do that. The way to do this is to have an age-pension scheme that works in practice, not just on paper. Everyday Australians want to be supported, valued and free to make their own decisions. As a federal government, we need to make sure Australians have more choice in retirement and give people the flexibility to design a retirement that suits them, not one that just fits within a heap of rules.

If you look at the opposition's plans for retirement for pensioners, it's clear the Leader of the Opposition is incredibly out of touch with the Australian community. Labor always make sure they appear to be saying the right thing, but the devil is in the detail. Labor's poorly designed retirement tax will hurt pensioners not just in Petrie but in Longman and Braddon—probably in the minister's seat as well. It will punish well-prepared, organised and self-reliant Australians who've worked hard to support themselves and are actually contributing by helping their dollar go a bit further. Instead, what Labor want to do is tax them—no surprise there.

Australians are living longer, which means we're working longer. The feedback from my electorate is that it's not easy to just stop working at 63 or 67—or whenever it is you want to retire or when you can retire—when you still feel like you can continue to contribute. The fact is a lot of older Australians really want to keep working. You'll find that, when they do retire, they're often busier than ever. Have they said that to you?

A Labor government would place grandparents in the firing line, particularly lower income retirees. No matter what side of politics we come from, we should all unite to appreciate retirees and thank them for their lifelong contributions. Minister, could you address how this year's budget protects pensioners but also encourages them to remain and engage in the workforce.

See this speech in context