Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to take note of the answers in question time today, in particular the answers of Senator Kemp. Like the minister, I welcome the initiatives and the provisions for older Australians in this year’s budget. Prior to addressing my remarks to Senator Kemp’s answers, I would like to respond to the previous speaker. Senator Stephens indicated that regional Australia has been largely ignored. That is a furphy. It is totally incorrect. If I could quote from today’s edition of the Advocate newspaper from my home electorate of Braddon in north-west Tasmania. In that electorate, we have more than 12,000 pensioners who will benefit greatly from this budget, but from a very strong regional perspective. The editorial in the Advocate newspaper says:

Peter Costello’s rivers of gold have been flowing back into the taxpayer for some time and Tuesday night’s effort could be described as a flood. One of the good things about the budget was that most of the spending was sensibly targeted. One great result was eliminating tax on superannuation benefits for people 60 and over.

Without reading it all, the editorial concludes:

The local economy and the majority of the public will benefit from the budget.

This is from a regional newspaper in regional Australia in the electorate of Braddon.

Security for older Australians is a particular strong point of this budget. A fairer assets test has been added. It is proposed to reduce the pension assets test taper rate to $1.50 per fortnight for every $1,000 of assets above the free area. This will come in from 20 September 2007. Based upon the current age pension, a single retiree home owner could have around an additional $165,000 worth of assets before losing the age pension. I know that has been welcomed in wide areas of Australia. Also, a couple on a couple pension could have around $275,000 worth of additional assets. Further provisions provide for tax relief so that those who are eligible for the senior Australians tax offset will pay no tax on their annual income up to $24,867 for singles, and for couples that is increased to $41,360. These are tremendous provisions looking after older Australians, as we always do as a coalition government.

There will be further assistance to older Australians with the cost of utilities. In the electorate of Braddon, where my home base is, 12,000 pensioners will benefit from this utilities assistance. In 2005, we as a coalition introduced a utilities allowance for age pensioners, while a seniors concession allowance was introduced for certain self-funded retirees who do not get pensioner concessions. This year an additional one-off payment of $102.80 will be provided to each household with a person of age or service pension age eligible for that allowance. The $102 payment will also be provided to each self-funded retiree who is eligible for seniors concession allowance. The eligibility for the utilities allowance will be extended to recipients of mature age allowance, partner allowance and widow allowance. This payment will be made by 30 June 2006, so in a matter of weeks those older Australians will be receiving that one-off payment.

Supporting older Australians has certainly been a strong priority of the coalition. The strong budget provision makes allowance again for our older Australians, many of whom have supported us as we have come up through society, as we have been raised in our families and in our communities. It is only fitting and proper for a government of any nature to look after and support our mature Australians. I am proud to say that the budget this year, apart from taking care of older Australians, looks after every person within the community. There would be very few, in particular among the more mature members of our society, who could argue that this budget has not affected them positively in one way or another. People who require assistance in any way, shape or form in relation to interpreting the budget should feel free to contact any coalition senator or member in their home electorate or home state, and we will be most pleased to go over the provisions and the benefits of the budget. (Time expired)