Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer. Given the strong retirement policies that are key to meeting the challenge of an ageing population, would the minister advise the House of the community response to the government’s plan to simplify and streamline superannuation?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank very much the member for Indi for her question and appreciate very much the way in which she has been engaged in this process, because the radical changes to superannuation in this country are all about the Howard government securing and planning for the future of this country. We have an ageing population in this country and we must put in place proper retirement plans, proper economic plans, to secure this nation’s future.

The responses to the final announcements made in response to the consultation period that we had last week have been that the plan will be overwhelmingly successful. All of the industry advice to us has been that this is a great plan for the future of the country. Richard Gilbert, the CEO of IFSA, the Investment and Financial Services Association, welcomed the announcements. He said:

The package will help make life simpler and more efficient for industry, with the benefits ultimately flowing through to consumers …

Dr Michaela Anderson of ASFA, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, said:

These are highly positive steps to reform super, and will increase workers’ engagement with one of their most significant investments ...

Out of all of this, one of the most significant plans that have ever been put forward by a government to secure the economic future of the nation, the most significant point that needs to be made is that there has still not been one utterance from the Leader of the Opposition on superannuation. There were 1,500 submissions made in relation to the government’s plans to radically overhaul superannuation and not one suggestion was made by the Leader of the Opposition. I went to the index. You can look under ‘A’ for Australian Labor Party—no submission. You can look under ‘B’ for Beazley—no submission. You can skip down to ‘K’ for Kim—no submission under ‘Kim’ either.

Last week the opposition leader had the perfect opportunity when he was addressing the International CEO Forum. He delivered a speech called ‘Nation building for the modern economy’. He was talking about the future of this nation and there was not one word on superannuation. He never mentioned retirement policy. It is one of the biggest policies affecting the nation’s future, and there was nothing mentioned by the Leader of the Opposition at all. It is an example to the Australian people of why the Leader of the Opposition is not fit to govern this country.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.