Jon Sullivan (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Minister, how is the government supporting older Australians during these challenging times?

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 Longman, who certainly does understand that older Australians who have worked very hard all their lives are feeling the pressure of the global financial crisis. It is the case that older Australians are amongst the millions who will benefit from the government’s $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan. Those self-funded retirees who paid tax in 2007-08 as a result of their investments or other income will receive the $950 tax bonus. Part pensioners who paid even one dollar in tax last financial year will also receive the $950 tax bonus. That means that around 290,000 older Australians, self-funded retirees and part pensioners can expect to benefit. This, of course, is on top of the benefits that were paid to both pensioners and self-funded retirees back in December. Those Economic Security Strategy payments went to four out of five of the 2.8 million Australians aged over 65—both pensioners and self-funded retirees.

Very importantly, many pensioners who are suffering in the private rental market will benefit from the government’s $6.4 billion investment in social housing. Many pensioners in the private rental market are under severe housing stress, and we certainly hope that some of them will be able to benefit from the 20,000 extra homes that will be built. This support builds on many other initiatives that the government put in place last year for older Australians. These figures are very important for everybody to be aware of. In total—and this is excluding the normal indexation that pensioners receive—the government has provided an additional $2,337 of assistance to single pensioners and $3,537 to pensioner couples—all that in the year since we came into office. We are also committed to delivering long-term pension reform, and that has been recognised by the National Seniors chief executive officer, Michael O’Neill, who yesterday said:

I think the relief has come already, and there will be a further lot of relief with the reform in May in the budget.

Unfortunately for older Australians there is only one thing standing in the way of them benefiting from this Nation Building and Jobs Plan, and that of course is the opposition. It is the opposition that is going to prevent self-funded retirees and part pensioners getting the tax bonus that we have proposed. They also seem to want to stop those pensioners who are under severe financial stress in the private rental market from getting the help that they need. That demonstrates just how out of touch the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Party are. They have no intention of making sure that older Australians get the help they need.