Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given the government has ruled out further cuts to foreign aid, will the Prime Minister also rule out increasing the pension age to the highest in the developed world?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister for allowing me to respond to the question. As those opposite would know, they were the ones who originally put forward measures through this parliament to increase the pension age to 67. They did that with the support of those on this side of the chamber, when we sat in opposition, because we understood the need to ensure that we had a sustainable safety net for future Australians.

Now they find themselves in opposition, they seem to think they have to run out of ideas and not be able to support proper, sensible and sustainable ideas to ensure the safety net that is there for Australians today is there for Australians in the future. If it were left to those opposite, they would just let the pension run off the edge of a cliff. They would let it run off the edge of a cliff without any thought for the welfare of future Australians about having a sustainable safety net. What do we hear from them? They continue to go on by scaring pensioners today. That is the policy of those opposite—to scare pensioners.

This is the policy of the government: to increase the pension. As the Prime Minister said couples are better off by $78 a fortnight under the pension under this government. Pensioners today are better off under this government than they would have been under those opposite if they sat on this side. I will tell you why—

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The minister should not mislead the parliament—

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

The member will resume her seat. That is a total abuse of the standing orders and the member knows it. Should she try it again she will leave under standing order 94(a).

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will tell you why—because this government got rid of the carbon tax, and we kept the carbon tax compensation.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith will leave under standing order 94(a).

The member for Griffith then left the chamber.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So how much better are pensioners as a result of getting rid of the carbon tax? I can tell you, because the compensation is $14.10 for a single pensioner per fortnight, and it is $21.20 for a couple for a fortnight.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Lalor! The member for Scullin is not in his seat and may not speak!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is how much better off pensioners are under this government than they would have been under those opposite, because today the Leader of the Opposition has launched a four word slogan and he has put it into a website. Let me tell you the difference between the four word slogans of those opposite and the three word achievements of this government. We have stopped the boats. We have scrapped the carbon tax. We have got rid of the mining tax, and we have halved the trajectory of Labor's debt and that of the fiscal arsonists who sit on that side of the House who were on this side and set the budget ablaze.

Let me finish with the shadow minister who is often quoted in this place, the member for Fraser. When it comes to what he thinks about a pension age of 70 he said, '70 is the new 64'. What a bunch of hypocrites you are.

Opposition members interjecting—