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

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. I refer the Acting Prime Minister to the Treasurer’s comments in this place yesterday:

… there is a need for very substantial action when it comes to the base rate of the pension.

Why won’t the government do something now, right now, for the pensioners who deserve that action?

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

I indicate to the Leader of the Opposition that in the May budget the government did act to assist Australian pensioners. In the May budget the government did act to increase the utilities allowance and provide a $500 cash bonus for age pensioners. As the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Ms Macklin, made clear in the parliament yesterday, pensioners are receiving, as this parliament sits in this period, indexation for a single pensioner of $15.30 per week and $128 from the new utilities allowance. The government provided these additional payments because we recognised that it is very tough for Australia’s pensioners. These were new arrangements not provided by the previous government: the increased utilities allowance and the $500 cash bonus provided in this government’s budget in May.

As the Leader of the Opposition is aware, there is a comprehensive review being undertaken of the age pension. The opposition indicated when this matter was before a Senate committee that it understood the need for a review in this area. I indicate to the Leader of the Opposition, as was dealt with in this House yesterday, that the proposition that the Leader of the Opposition put before this parliament would not have addressed the needs of two million pensioners, including carers, couples and people with disabilities. It would have even failed to include 13,000 single carers and disability pensioners who are over age pension age. There was no indexation of the $30 and there was no understanding of the way in which a variation like this relates to other changes in payments to pensioners.

The government is getting on with the job of delivering practical measures to help Australian pensioners now. The government is engaged in a comprehensive review of the circumstances of Australian pensioners and our pension system. The government has made that perfectly clear. The government will respond when that review is completed.