Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, if there are no cuts to pensions in this budget, why do the Prime Minister's own budget papers show a $449 million cut?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pensions are going up every six months. They are going up every six months now, they will go up every six months in the future. They are going up. I just think it would be much better for our country, it would be much better for the pensioners of Australia, if the alternative government of our country stopped scaring pensioners and started to tell pensioners the truth. And the truth is that pensions will go up every six months—

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why is there a cut—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga has asked her question.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The difference, as the member the member for Jagajaga well knows, is that indexation changes—

Ms Macklin interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga will desist!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The difference, as the member for Jagajaga well knows, is that indexation changes from male total average weekly earnings or CPI, whichever is the greatest, to CPI. That is the difference.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Jagajaga is warned! She has asked her question. She will listen in silence.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the member for Jagajaga well knows, what this government is doing is applying to pensions the same indexation that she applied to family tax benefits. Let me tell her very softly, because I do not want to be accused of shouting at anyone, that we are doing for pensions exactly what she did for the family tax benefit. It is exactly the same thing.

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Throw him a lifesaver!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield is warned.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the member for Jagajaga: if it was fair for her to do this to the family tax benefit—

Mr Champion interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield will leave for one hour.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

how can it be unfair for us to do it for pensioners? How can it be fair for her to do it and somehow be unfair for us to do it?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order. I refer you to page 551 of House of Representatives Practice. It has become the practice of ministers in this House to constantly be sending questions across to private members. As you know, the House of Representatives Practice states that there are very specific circumstances where questions can be asked of private members. And that does not include during the answers of ministers.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has the call and will answer the question as it has been put to him. I have been asked a question about the indexation of pensions and I am just pointing out that the indexation system that this government is applying to pensions is exactly the same as the indexation system that the member for Jagajaga applied to the family tax benefit—exactly the same.

The member for Jagajaga cannot help herself. What she does not like is the fact that she has been caught out in utter hypocrisy. What members opposite cannot stand is the fact that this government has been honest and true. Members opposite are utterly, completely hypocritical. Hypocrisy, thy name is Labor.