Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister explain why he and the Treasurer believe it is fair to axe the seniors supplement and rip more than $800 from the pockets of around 300,000 Australian seniors whilst at the same time giving $50,000 to wealthy Australians to have a baby?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

There is too much noise on my right as well. The opposition has asked its question: I expect silence for the answer.

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

I can only assume that should the current opposition ever come back into government that they would change the public service rules to prevent public servants from being paid at their wage when they take paid parental leave.

The only conclusion we can draw from the repeated attacks by the opposition on the government's policy to ensure that the rest of the population get the same benefits that public servants get is that they want to take these benefits away from public servants. That is the only conclusion that can be drawn.

This government's position is absolutely crystal clear: if it is right for public servants to go on paid parental leave at their wage, it is right for the workers of Australia to go on paid parental leave at their wage. And as for pensioners: well, if the member were fair dinkum about looking after pensioners she would vote to abolish the carbon tax. That is what she would do! If members opposite were fair dinkum about helping the families, the pensioners and the households of Australia they would do what they said they would do before the election and terminate the carbon tax.

Of course, they love the carbon tax. They love the fact that the households of Australia are $550 a year worse off as a result of their carbon tax. This government will save the people of Australia from this carbon tax and deliver $550 a year that the people of Australia absolutely deserve.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

We will have silence on my left, including the member for Wakefield!