Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister agree with the Nationals' member for Mallee that raising the retirement age to 70 years is 'a mistake', or does he think that shearers, farmers, manual workers should have to work until they are 70 to pay for his broken promises?

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

I think, if I may say so:

Increasing the age pension age is a responsible reform to meet the challenge of an ageing population …

  …    …    …

Australia must move towards a higher pension age over the next decade.

That was what the member for Jagajaga said when members opposite raised the pension age. I might also say:

… in order to make the pension system is sustainable in the long run, we also made the hard decision to raise the qualifying age for the age pension.

There is a lesson in that decision and the lesson is this: when we make policy we need to have the courage to adapt to changing demographic trends. It simply was not feasible to continue with a pension age drawn up a century ago.

That was the former Treasurer, the member for Lilley. Following on from the decision by members opposite to raise the pension age to 67, we think it is perfectly reasonable to raise the pension age to the age of 70 by 2035.

In 21 years time the pension age will be 70. Given the changes in life expectancy, given the changes in healthy life expectancy, given the additional support that this government is going to give to older workers, including the Restart wage subsidy, we think this is right and proper. We think older people should be economic contributors, not just social and cultural contributors. We want to give—

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, a point of order on relevance: I asked the Prime Minister—

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

The member will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call. The Prime Minister has concluded his answer.