Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to take the opportunity, today, to provide an update on the government’s policy concerning the age pension and its importance for the residents of Charlton. On behalf of the nearly 7,000 single pensioners and 10,000 partnered pensioners within my electorate, I have been working hard within the government to represent their interests. The electorate of Charlton, in fact, has a higher than average number of people dependent on the pension and that flows into a low mean average income across the electorate, and people who rely upon the pension are doing it hard.

The government is committed to a review of pensions to be conducted by Dr Jeff Harmer, who will report to the Treasurer and Minister Macklin by the end of this month. The review process revealed clearly that pensioners and carers are doing it tough, and the government has been listening to their stories. Dr Harmer’s report will provide a basis for government to respond to these pressures and to get our pension system right for the long term. Many of my constituents are keenly awaiting the findings of this review. In fact, late last year the Treasurer and the minister attended a pensioner forum in my electorate where they were confronted by many questions about this issue. It is fair to say that in my electorate, as in many others throughout the country, I imagine, these findings are keenly anticipated and there is hope that some much-needed relief for pensioners may flow from them.

I can assure the residents of Charlton that the position of the government is very clear on this issue—that is, the government has undertaken to deliver long-term pension reform in the 2009-10 budget. However, in the meantime, the government has recognised that some pensioners have been struggling to make ends meet. That is why the Rudd government has undertaken a variety of measures to assist pensioners who are struggling. In total, excluding normal indexation, the government has been able to provide an additional $2,337 of assistance to single pensioners and $3,537 to pensioner couples since coming to office. Of course, those measures include: $1,400 for singles and $2,100 per eligible pensioner couple as part of the government Economic Security Strategy in December last year; a higher rate of utilities allowance, $500 a year for singles or couples combined; an increase in the seniors concession allowance from $218 to $500 a year; and an increase in the telephone allowance from $88 to $132 a year for eligible recipients.

Although these measures have provided much-needed assistance in Charlton while the government conducts the review through Dr Harmer, it is clear that long-term pension reform is needed and we look forward to the findings of the Harmer review. I will certainly continue to work hard on behalf of the pensioners in my electorate to achieve long-term reform. (Time expired)