Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Low-income families in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, as well as low-income pensioners, part pensioners and low-income retirees, are extremely fearful about the impact of the Abbott government's budget—both budget No. 1 and budget No. 2—on their living standards. Those who receive family tax benefit part B could be up to $6,000 a year worse off. There are some 7,000 families in the northern suburbs of the Lilley, as well as more families in the electorate of Petrie, who are going to have their incomes substantially cut. That will have a dramatic impact on their lifestyle.

It is not just affecting those on lower incomes. There are many who will also be affected by other changes in the family benefits. For example, a family with the dual income of $120,000 a year and two children will be $3,272 a year worse off by 2018-19, which is over $60 a week. That is a big hit to a family budget. But it is not affecting just families with children. It is also affecting pensioners and low-income retirees, who are very fearful about the changes which are now coming in the income and assets test. This government is not content with threatening in budget No. 1 to reduce the income of full pensioners by up to $80 a week in a decade. It has now turned its guns on low-income retirees and many part pensioners, who are extremely fearful about what these sudden changes made do to their incomes and their lifestyles.

On behalf of all those people in my electorate, I write to assure them that I am going to fight these changes to the end. (Time expired)