Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Lifting the Income Limit for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card) Bill 2022 because this bill delivers on an election commitment of the former coalition government to increase the income limits for the Commonwealth seniors health card. This is important to the electorate of Casey because we have 2,812 people on the Commonwealth seniors health card, 15,729 on the age pension and around 24,000 people aged over 65.

On 2 May the coalition announced their policy to increase the singles income test threshold from $57,000 to $90,000 to give more senior Australians access to the concession card. The couple threshold would also increase from $92,000 to $144,000. I heard from many of my constituents during the campaign of the need for more support for aged and seniors, so I am so glad that this policy has come through. I note that Labor quickly adopted this coalition policy during the election and they're now obviously trying to claim it as their own. But it is great that this is being delivered for senior Australians.

The measure also gives an extra 50,000 older Australians access to more affordable health care and medications to help ease cost-of-living pressures. The cards are available to Australian residents over age pension age who are not already receiving a pension and have an adjustable taxable income under the threshold.

We will of course be supporting this bill, as I said, because this was a coalition initiative, although it's disappointing to note that Labor have decided to push the start date out to 20 September. It was originally announced for July. As we know, many Australians, particularly our older Australians, are struggling with rising inflation and need support straightaway. It's another example of the current government not having a plan to help Australians today or this week. They are pushing off to September initiatives, like the jobs summit. It does not help anyone today. This initiative to support Australians should have been put in in July, but I'm glad it is coming in—better late than never.

Currently more than 436,000 Australians aged over 67 years who are not already receiving a pension or benefit will have the seniors health card. Senior Australians have worked hard to make Australia all it is today and it is important that the country takes care of them in return. This is a good policy. I only hope Labor adopts more of the coalition's policies to ease the cost-of-living pressures on seniors and, indeed, all Australians. It's another example of why this government needs an economic plan to deal with the challenges coming our way. There's increasing pressure with inflation and increasing pressure with rising interest rates. We need a plan to deal with these pressures today.

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