Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Deputy Chairman , Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

() (): My question is to the Prime Minister. It relates to the Prime Minister's last answer. I remind the Prime Minister that in 2007 the Labor Party promised that superannuation would be changed by 'not one jot, not one tittle' and then after the election it cut super co-contribution benefits for low-income earners from $1,500 under the Howard government to just $500, ripping more than $3.3 billion away from low-income earners. Yesterday the Prime Minister ruled out tax on super withdrawals for over 60s, but why should Australian people believe the Prime Minister this time? (Time expired)

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I made clear in my last answer, if anybody in this parliament is concerned about superannuation and low-income earners then they must protest the Leader of the Opposition's plan to disadvantage low-income earners—more than three million of them, 2.1 million of them women. Everybody who says they are concerned must go to the Leader of the Opposition and say that this is wrong. I trust the member who asked the question has done that and will refuse to support it here in this parliament and in his electorate where he will declare that the Leader of the Opposition is wrong. He should particularly declare that the Leader of the Opposition is wrong because this superannuation cut, hitting as it does low-income Australians, hitting as it does predominantly women, would be hitting the same people that the Leader of the Opposition wants to rip the Schoolkids Bonus off as they try to get their kids to—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The Prime Minister is not addressing Labor taking $3.3 billion from low-income superannuants.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am referring to the question of superannuation for low-income earners. It seems to me amazing indeed that the member for North Sydney and the member who asked the question can feign concern about the circumstances of low-income earners when they will go to the next election asking those low-income earners for their vote knowing that they are going to deliver a superannuation reduction to them—more than three million of them, predominantly women. No doubt they will be trying to cover that up and not actually looking into their eyes and saying, 'I want you to be worse off,' but of course that is what they want. I point out that their wanting of low-income earners to be worse off is compounded by the plan to take away the Schoolkids Bonus, which would make families around $15,000 worse off over their children's journey through school. I say to the member who asked the question that he should be protesting the Leader of the Opposition's plan. That is the right thing to do. He should acknowledge that Labor invented superannuation, that Labor is increasing contributions from nine per cent to 12 per cent, that Labor has always delivered the important retirement income changes for Australians and that it is Labor in these circumstances, where hard-hitting cuts are proposed against low-income Australians, who will fight this change because it is wrong.