Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Graham Ratcliffe is a part pensioner from Glen Waverley in Victoria. Graham writes, 'The government can't claim that its pension changes are fair and equitable and at the same time not address superannuation tax impacts.' Why does the Prime Minister think that part pensioners have too much money and millionaire superannuants too little?

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

The Leader of the Opposition asked me a question about pensioners. The good news from this government for pensioners is that since the election, the single pension is up by $52 a fortnight and the married pension is up by $78 a fortnight. The carbon tax has gone but pensioners keep the carbon tax compensation.

Ms Owens interjecting—

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

The member for Parramatta has been warned.

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

This is a Leader of the Opposition who has seriously lost his way. This is an opposition which is all adrift, because what we saw from the opposition today was a decision that they would deny—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for Isaacs has a point of order.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister is not even attempting to be relevant to the question that he was asked.

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

There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat.

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

I was asked about pensioners and that is exactly what I am talking about. Today, the opposition decided to deny to 170,000 people with relatively low assets a pension increase of up to $30 a fortnight. They do not want poorer pensioners to get more money. What they do want is for millionaire pensioners to keep their part pensions. That is what this opposition wants. They want millionaires who also own their family home, people who have more than $1 million in assets plus their family home, to stay as part pensioners.

This is a strange position for the Labor Party and it shows absolutely comprehensively that this is the 'welfare party'; it is not the workers' party anymore. This is so symptomatic of modern Labor, which is the 'welfare party', not the workers' party. They even want welfare for millionaires.

I was asked about pensions and I was also asked about superannuation. Let me make this very clear on superannuation. People's superannuation savings are safe with this government. There will be no adverse changes to superannuation in this parliament. We have no plans to increase taxes on superannuation in any future parliaments and we do not want to increase the restrictions on the way superannuation is used—we don't and we won't. Every superannuant ought to know what will happen if members opposite become the government: Bill Shorten will come after your money. Your nest egg is not safe under this person, who wants to rip off your super, just like he wanted to rip off your unused bank accounts.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

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

The member for Jagajaga is warned.