Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to deal immediately with the furphy that Senator Forshaw put into this debate, which I might say was mentioned in the course of question time by both Senator Evans and Senator Conroy when they gave answers to questions. They have repeated this claim that the former government did nothing about the size of the pension or the living standards of older Australians. We know that that statement is completely untrue. I do not expect those opposite to believe my say-so or the say-so of anybody on this side of the chamber. But I do hope that members opposite will take seriously the findings of a Senate committee and will particularly pay regard to the unanimous findings of the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs, which, at the initiative of Labor members, looked at the question of the living standards of older Australians.