Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. How is the government supporting Australian pensioners to balance their household budgets? What risks are there to this support?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The question has been asked; it is now being responded to.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I very much thank the member for Hindmarsh for his question. He knows that the Labor government are very serious about supporting Australia's pensioners because we do understand how difficult it is for pensioners and other people on fixed incomes to manage their household budgets. Of course, it was this government that delivered record increases in the pension in 2009. Since September 2009, pensioners on the maximum rate have been receiving $128 extra a fortnight if they are single and around $116 a fortnight extra for couples combined—never delivered by those opposite but delivered by this Labor government—to make sure that pensioners are able to manage their household budgets.

It was also this government that improved the indexation system for pensioners to make sure that the pension keeps up with pensioners' costs of living. That was why this government also increased the utilities allowance by $400 and why we have introduced a new seniors work bonus, meaning that those pensioners who are doing some part-time work are able to keep more of what they earn.

Our record demonstrates that we stand up for Australia's pensioners. We are, of course, going to make sure that we do that when we introduce a carbon price. We do understand how important it is to support Australia's 3.4 million pensioners—whether they are aged pensioners, disability support pensioners, people on the carer payment or veteran pensioners. All of these pensioners will receive extra assistance to make sure that they can manage with the carbon price. These are going to be real and permanent increases to their pensions—something that pensioners know they can rely on from this side of the parliament.

We know, and pensioners know, where the risks to their standard of living really lie. Pensioners know that, for 12 long years, this Leader of the Opposition and the Howard cabinet refused to deliver an increase to their pension. We know there was an actual proposal for an increase to the pension that went to the cabinet that this Leader of the Opposition was a member of, and it was rejected by those opposite. We also know that it is this Leader of the Opposition that has said he intends to claw back the household assistance that we intend to pay to pensioners to fill his $70 billion black hole. That is where he intends to get it from. The shadow Treasurer, who has just been thrown out the parliament, let the cat out of the bag on the ABC's 7.30 program just last week when he said:

I'm not saying we'll necessarily cut the pension.

What pensioners want to know is how much of the pension you will cut, how much of the pension supplement you will cut and how much of their pensioner concessions you will cut to fill the $70 billion black hole that you have created. Pensioners deserve to know.