Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Acting Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister can cook up a grand Asia-Pacific union on a few hours notice, why do the single age pensioners of Australia have to wait until the end of next year to get an increase in a pension the Acting Prime Minister herself has said is impossible to live on?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. Even as he asked the question, the Leader of the Opposition looked uncomfortable because he knows how hypocritical his and the Liberal Party’s performance is on this question. He understands that Australians would look at the record of the Howard government and ask themselves why the arguments put by the Leader of the Opposition did not persuade the Howard government to act in 1996, 1997 or 1998, and so on and so forth up to last year, when he sat round a cabinet table and the then responsible minister, Mal Brough, said to him in cabinet that we should put the rate of the base pension up—and the Howard cabinet said ‘No’. There is no walking away from that fact. There is no pretending that that fact does not exist. At least when they sat over here, the Leader of the Opposition and the former members of the Howard ministry were honest enough to say to the Australian people, ‘No. 1, we love Work Choices and, No. 2, we are going to do nothing about the pension’. That is what you said to the Australian people over 12 long years.

Well, this government has acted with practical measures in the recent budget, practical measures that will mean pensioners will have more money—$128 received this week—in the form of the utilities payment that we increased to $500. Pensioners had the $500 cash bonus out of the budget. We understand that these measures will make some difference but that there will still be pressure on pensioners, which is why we are engaged in looking at the question of the pension, comprehensively, through a review.

Can I contrast that with the approach of the Leader of the Opposition, who has cobbled together a measure that he was amending on the run over the weekend—’Oops, I forgot veterans’ was his approach, and there was a quick cobbling together, an amendment of the motion. And, as the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs has indicated in the House, yesterday and today, even with those changes there are veterans left behind. As the minister responsible, Minister Macklin, has indicated in the House today, there are two million pensioners left behind.

The Leader of the Opposition knows that this is an exercise in politics. It is not delivering a solution. The government is working on a solution to take pressure off Australian pensioners. We have delivered the budget measures. The one thing the Leader of the Opposition does not explain, whether he is here in Canberra or overseas in Venice, is why he did nothing about the base rate of the pension when he was in a position to make a difference, around the cabinet table. Why did he do nothing about it? Until he provides an explanation of that point, everything else that he says will be viewed in its shadow. Until he answers the question: ‘Why did he do nothing?’ then the things that are being said in question time today will be weighed for what they are worth by members of the Australian community.

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

The member for Chis—

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I move that so much of—

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

Order! I was going to give the member for Chisholm the call.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Come off it!

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

I was looking—the member for Chisholm was on her feet.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You gave me the call, Mr Speaker.

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

No, I never gave anybody the call. You would have only been given the call to make a point of order.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move that so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Opposition Member:

Opposition member interjecting—

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

Only if he got the call. I have not given anyone—

Opposition Member:

Opposition member interjecting—

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

Exactly. The member for Chisholm.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the Leader of the Opposition asked a question. There is always an entitlement for the person who asks the question to stand up, to make a point of order, perhaps to even get the minister to table a document. The Leader of the Opposition was on his feet and seeking the call to move a suspension of standing orders. I ask that you reconsider your decision.

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

I think that the member for North Sydney is stretching Practice a little—

Opposition Member:

Opposition member interjecting—

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

No. He is stretching it a little bit to suggest that, when the person answering the question has resumed their seat, we do not go to the next question.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a further point of order: you had not called the member for Chisholm. You said you were looking at her, but the call actually went to the Leader of the Opposition.

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

If I recall, I gave nobody the call. I looked at the member—

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I am seeking the call.

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

The member for Chisholm has the call.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I thought you just said you had not given anyone the call.

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

At the time.

Opposition Member:

Opposition member interjecting—

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

No, it is not. You can make all the comments under your breath you like, but I believe what will now happen is the member for Chisholm will ask her question, the answerer will answer it and then the call will go to your side and I can predict what might happen at that point.