Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to talk about pensions and the great need in the electorate of Wakefield—a need that has now, in part, been met. I have a very diverse electorate, taking in country towns and regional centres such as Gawler and some very disadvantaged areas in the northern suburbs of Adelaide. Many pensioners in these areas live literally from pay to pay. They have very few savings and there is not much standing between them and not having any money, between them and poverty. Only last week I saw a constituent who is on the disability support pension. He is a veteran; he was a fitter and turner who worked until he had a stroke and injured his back. He tells me that frequently he only has $5 to $10 in his pocket to last him the last few days of a pay fortnight.

It is very confronting when you see poverty like this. I have met many pensioners and disability support pensioners who have cut back on basics and on luxuries in order to survive. It is the No. 1 issue at every shopping centre stall I do and at every bowls club and at every senior citizens club I visit because people are really doing it tough, and there is nothing as tragic as poverty amongst the elderly. That is why it was so good to see that at the centrepiece of our Economic Security Strategy was a $4.8 billion down payment for Australia’s four million pensioners, carers and seniors—providing them with immediate financial help in the lead-up to comprehensive reform of the pension system. That includes $4 billion in payments to pensioners: $1,400 to single pensioners and $2,100 to pensioner couples. Most importantly that includes disability support pensioners, carers and veterans. People who are receiving carer allowances will also receive $1,000 for each eligible person in their care. The strategy also includes help for self-funded retirees who are eligible for a Commonwealth seniors health card.

It is particularly important to note that the package does not treat disability support pensioners differently from other pensioners. For too long they were treated like second-class citizens and that hurt a lot of good people. These reforms will help about 9,500 partnered age pensioners, 6,000 single age pensioners, 3,400 DSP who have partners and about 5,238 single disability support pensioners. I think it is incredibly important that those people are assisted and I am very proud to be part of a government that was able to give them some relief.