Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Abbott government's cuts are hurting the people of New South Wales, particularly in regional areas like my electorate of Richmond. One of the worst affected by these cuts will be age pensioners, who will be much worse off as a result of the Abbott government's cuts to the indexation of their pensions. In my electorate, there are 20,520 people on the age pension who will have their pension cut by this Liberal-National government. The Australia Council of Social Services estimated this cut will leave pensioners $80 a week worse off. And the fact is that New South Wales Premier Mike Baird has done nothing to stop the Prime Minister's attack on the pensioners of New South Wales.

On the New South Wales North Coast, the National Party has done nothing to stop the Prime Minister's attack on pensioners. On 28 March, pensioners on the North Coast will have a chance to tell the Prime Minister that they never voted for a cut to their pension. They should put the National Party last to send a strong message about these pension cut. Put the National Party last.

It is not just pensioners who will be worse off. Families will have family tax benefit part B cut as well. There are all those health cuts as well, with the Prime Minister cutting more than $50 billion from hospitals around Australia, including more than $16 billion from New South Wales hospitals.

On 28 March, locals in my electorate have an opportunity to send a strong message to the National Party. Tell the National Party: we never voted for pension cuts; we never voted for health cuts; we never voted for cuts to family payments. The people of New South Wales are hurting because of this government's cruel cuts. The Liberal-National government's cruel cuts are hurting the people of New South Wales.