Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister Assisting for Deregulation. How is the government getting the budget back to surplus and, at the same time, helping Australian pensioners and families who are not in the mining boom fast lane? What does this mean for pensioners in my local community of the Northern Rivers and others on the North Coast?

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hope that is a temporary tattoo, David!

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gippsland might be temporary too. The Assistant Treasurer has the call.

David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the member for Page for her question. This government has brought down a responsible budget that will get Australia back to surplus. We have a strong economy. It is an economy that is expected to grow faster than all other advanced economies over the coming years. We have low unemployment, we have contained inflation, we have low net debt and we have a record pipeline of investment coming into this economy. In these circumstances, now is the time for us to be returning the budget to surplus and that is what this government is doing.

We are a Labor government, and as a Labor government we are determined to make sure that we spread the benefit of the boom and that we ensure that all Australians get some benefit out of the growth that our economy is experiencing. That is why we are determined to provide assistance to pensioners and to families. That is why I am happy to report to the member for Page that some 31,500 pensioners in her electorate will benefit from the upfront household assistance payments of $250 for individuals and $380 for couples combined. Those 31,500 pensioners in the electorate of Page will be receiving this assistance straight into their bank accounts. With that many pensioners in her electorate, it is no wonder that the member for Page is very passionate about support and assistance for pensioners.

I note that in the neighbouring electorate on the mid-North Coast of Cowper, there are even more pensioners—33,100 of them. With that many pensioners in his electorate, I would have thought that the member for Cowper should not come into this place and vote against assistance for those individuals. I hope the member for Cowper writes to every one of those 33,100 pensioners in his electorate to explain why he wants to rip that assistance away. That is what he will do if they get elected.

We have delivered this assistance and that comes on the back of an historic increase in the pension. The increase that a single aged pensioner is receiving under this government since 2009 is more than $4,000 a year. In contrast, those opposite want to come into this place and pretend that they care for pensioners and for Australian families. The Leader of the Opposition comes in and says he cares about pensioners, but he votes no to pension increases. He says that he cares about families, but he votes no to increases in family payments. He says that he cares about small businesses, but he votes no when it comes to tax relief. We all know that those opposite have got a $70 billion black hole. The only way they are going to fill it is by burning a hole in the pockets of pensioners and working Australians. (Time expired)