David Feeney (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Abbott government has demonstrated since its election that it does not care about the welfare of everyday Australians. The Abbott government's cruel and irresponsible policies will hit local communities hard. Pensioners, low-income earners and families with school-aged children will be particularly hard hit.

Before the election, Tony Abbott promised elderly Australians that there would be no changes to pensions. Come the budget, this promise was forgotten. The changes made to pensions will mean that more people are likely to be bumped off the pension or incur a lower rate of pension. Making ends meet is already a tough job for many pensioners, and these harsh measures will make it near impossible in the future. In Batman, this will mean over 24,000 pensioners will be worse off.

This situation is made even more dire by the unfair GP tax. This ideological tax affects the most vulnerable people in our nation—low-income earners, the elderly and the sick. Everyday Australians should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's phoney economic crisis. Eighty-seven per cent of doctor consultations in Batman are currently bulk-billed. The new GP tax will force those residents who have relied on bulk-billing services in the past to now fork out to see a doctor. This new tax will cost the residents in Batman over $6 million a year.

The Abbott government's decision to cut the schoolkids bonus betrays the young people of Batman and their families. (Time expired)