Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to pass on a message to the Treasurer on behalf of Janet from Runcorn, in my electorate, who sent me an email after I invited her to the Lions Senior Health Awareness Expo, which she could not attend. I quote:

The statement Mr. Hockey has made about Pensioners becoming a burden on society has really upset me and I strongly object to be referred to as such. I worked up until I had our children so paid taxes then stayed at home too bring up our two children. I helped in their various schools, reading, tuck shop, fetes etc. In those days Child Benefit was very meagre but I was grateful for it … On my children leaving school I volunteered, meals on Wheels then delivering library books for … libraries, heard children read after school also at the libraries … I transport older people who no longer drive to various Church activities etc. All this I have done gladly saving the various governments hundreds. Like many "older'' people do.

We were bought up to work for what we have …

… … …

What I would like to know—

is—

why we are targeted …

… … …

I would appreciate that statements ought to be thought through before making sweeping statements and changes.

This is typical of the comments that came my way after various attacks on the seniors in Moreton and across Australia from this government.

We note that the Deputy Prime Minister said that pensioners were wasting their money on cruises and holidays. The seniors I talk to are barely able to get through their year and meet all their bills, keep the electricity on and keep enough food in the house. This attack on seniors is typical of an LNP government that have lost touch with the ordinary, everyday Australian. To have seniors in the Hockey crosshairs is indicative of a government that really need to spend the holidays thinking about finding a new direction. They need to either reboot or get booted out because they have lost the plot.

The other thing that seniors are particularly concerned about is the GP tax, the doctor tax, $7 that is going to target the sick and the vulnerable. Obviously, the elderly often meet both of these criteria. No-one ever mentioned a GP tax. It was raised by the Labor Party in the Griffith by-election, and the foreign minister said there was no way that the Liberal and National parties would be introducing a tax on the sick and the vulnerable. Now we have seen it rejected, but it will come back by stealth. This will hurt seniors particularly. The other hit to seniors that is in the pipeline is the commitment to decrease the rate of increase to the pension. That is waiting in the wings as well, and the years are ticking by and seniors are particularly scared that this will come through. I ask this Grinch of a government to have a think over Christmas and do not target seniors, the vulnerable or the sick.