James Bidgood (Dawson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Will the minister update the House on any responses to government support for pensioners and progress with payments?

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dawson for his question and his very strong support for pensioners in his local area. Like the member for Dawson, the government certainly does understand that pensioners are doing it tough and are facing very significant cost of living pressures. While we certainly know that there is more to be done, we have made a start. Last week I did inform the House that 2.7 million senior Australians are now beginning to receive $1.8 billion in bonuses from the Australian government so that, by the end of this month, pensioners should have received a $500 bonus—in most cases, directly into their bank accounts. They are also receiving a $125 June quarterly utilities allowance, which of course this government has increased from $107 a year to $500 a year. As I said, the government certainly knows that it is important to be acting to support the needs of pensioners and other Australians, but we also know that more needs to be done. We will be looking very carefully at how to do that through our tax and welfare review.

As far as responses are concerned, we in our office have certainly been pleased to have been receiving the calls and cards from pensioners and carers who have received their payment so far. One caller, I am very pleased to inform the House, actually rang to say that the bonus payment had arrived on his 66th birthday and it was the best present ever. Another was off to buy some new clothes.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I updated the House on the opposition’s ever-evolving response, and I am pleased to hear the opposition. They might have some further ideas from the ones that we have heard so far. Last week I indicated a number of positions we had already heard from the opposition about this very important issue of pension levels. Of course, the Leader of the Opposition had nothing to say about this in his budget reply, even though at the same time we had the opposition spokesperson on ageing out there saying that she did support an increase in the level of the pension.

The shadow Treasurer, of course, made it absolutely plain—absolutely crystal clear—on the radio that the opposition had no such policy. This is the shadow Treasurer’s view:

We have not got a policy to raise the base rate of the pension.

Of course, that did not stop the Gippsland Nationals candidate from misleading pensioners and pretending that the coalition would in fact raise pension levels, in a heartless attempt to mislead voters in that by-election. You would think that the Nationals leader might have got out there, like the shadow Treasurer, and tried to correct the record. But, no, the Nationals leader did not do anything of the kind. At least the shadow Treasurer had the courage to get out there and say what the true policy is. But not the Nationals leader; he was out there yesterday on ABC television fuelling the misrepresentation. This is what he had to say on ABC television yesterday:

Now we expect our candidates and our members to be proposing new ideas and he’s made it clear that he will be bringing that idea to Canberra.

Jim Middleton from the ABC asked:

But is it an idea, or a policy?

Mr Truss answered:

Well he’s indicated that’s a priority for him in Gippsland ...

The Nationals leader does not have the bottle to actually front up and tell the people of Gippsland that the coalition policy—the Nationals policy and the Liberal policy—is in fact to not increase the pension. So what the people of Gippsland want to know is the truth. What the people of Gippsland want to know is whether this is coalition policy or not. What we know from the shadow Treasurer is that it is not their policy. It is not the policy, and the Nationals leader should have the courage, should have the bottle, to get out there and tell the truth.

Unlike the opposition, this government is paying the bonuses, is increasing the utilities allowance and is making sure that pensioners and carers actually get the increased support that they need.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’ve been on the bottle all day!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Canning will withdraw that statement.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw that statement about being on the bottle, Mr Speaker.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, the member for Canning will withdraw without any further reflection!

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Mr Speaker.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There are specific standing orders that go to the behaviour of the member for Canning, which he just breached, and I ask that they be enforced. That is highly disorderly conduct.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will resume his seat.