Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Hansard source

This motion has been carefully worded as we have spent a lot of time talking about the age pension but not quite so much time talking about the valuable contribution that many age pensioners have made. The contribution that today’s age pensioners have made has changed our country immeasurably. They have borne hardship. They have been to war on our behalf. They have raised their families. They have built businesses. They have toiled for the benefit of this nation—often without the benefit of superannuation and often without the benefit of significant government assistance during some very tough times in all of their lives—always hopeful and optimistic, as Australians are, that, when their time of need arose, their 65-plus years of contribution to our community would allow them some respite, a bit of peace and some time with their families. They were hopeful that the government would provide them with enough sustenance and enough of a contribution for them to sustain a quality of life as befits their service to our nation.

Unfortunately, this has been completely lost on the Rudd government. Under the previous coalition government the age pension increased above the CPI. It was indexed to the average wage, which resulted in over $2,183 of additional benefits than would have accrued to them previously through the age pension. With the cost of living rising stratospherically under the Rudd government, who have taken their eyes completely off the main game—which is looking after Australians, not trying to get a seat in the United Nations or talking about 2050 plans—the pensioners of Australia are struggling right now. They are struggling right now to feed themselves and to turn their heaters on in a very cold winter. They are struggling to put fuel in their cars and get down to the shops or to the RSL so they can play some cards or have a drink with their friends. They are struggling because this government will not do anything to help them.

Sure, I accept the fact that a couple of policies have been copied to help out with rising electricity rates, and I understand that the government claim to accept the parlous state that pensioners are in, because we have had some senior ministers say that they could not live on the age pension. ‘We understand. We have had inquiries that have reported about how they cannot make ends meet’—how they have been forced to live on bread and jam, because dripping is no longer available; it is too expensive under the Rudd government. But we have a simple strategy for this government to provide immediate relief for the pensioners of Australia and what is their response? No. They are retreating to the Constitution. It is the Dennis Denuto version of government: ‘It’s the vibe. We don’t think the Senate can do this.’ The Senate passes a bill and sends it to the lower house and the lower house says: ‘No, we are going to rely on the Dennis Denuto interpretation. The vibe is wrong and you are not allowed to do it.’ Well, let them introduce a bill of their own to provide immediate financial relief for pensioners, because they need it now, they need it today—and they deserve it, quite frankly.

I know there are many agitators on the Labor backbench who are too frightened to speak up. They are too frightened to speak up because, in the Labor Party, when you speak up, you get your head chopped off. You get thrown out if you cross the floor. But they need to cross the floor. They need to put their pride on the line here to support Australia’s pensioners, because to do anything less is to turn their backs on those that most need it. We are a lucky country and they are a very lucky government because they inherited a massive surplus, the largest surplus I can recall at close to $23 billion. They have $23 billion in surplus and yet there is not enough money to make sure that those who are amongst the most vulnerable and needy in our society can actually get it.

If you need any evidence that this is a government more interested in spin than substance you only have to go to documents provided under the Freedom of Information Act, in which the Treasury has written to Mr Swan, Mr Bowen and Senator Sherry on the adequacy of government support for people of age pension age. This Treasury note of 11 pages noted that the age pension and additional financial payments for seniors had increased substantially in real terms under the coalition government. It notes that, and yet here we have the Leader of the Government in the Senate just yesterday saying that no action had been taken under the coalition. This is a government that really does not know what it is saying. It does not appreciate just how painful its callous words—the stake that it is driving through heart of the people who have toiled to build this country—really are. When you have the Leader of the Government in the Senate saying that the coalition did nothing and yet the Treasury note demonstrates something else, it is really very sad.

The Treasury note goes on to say that some people are genuinely experiencing cost-of-living pressures. This has been borne out by Senate committee after Senate committee. We know this, because the evidence is there for every single person to see. But there are none so blind as those that will not see. The blindness, unfortunately, resides on the government side. If Mr Rudd himself decreed from above—because he is the emperor that runs the Labor Party and the government and they will not act without Mr Rudd—‘I want the pensioners to have a $30 a week pay rise,’ it would happen, and it would happen with the support of the coalition. It would happen, I presume, with the support of the crossbenches and with the support of the Greens. But, no, it does not happen.

And when we are debating this, where does Mr Rudd go? Overseas. He is missing in action, like this government has been missing in action on the needs of so many Australians. But the problem we have is that it sets a terrible precedent whereby the coalition will continue to advocate and the government will continue to turn their backs on the people who need it most. It is not good enough. The coalition have been pursuing this issue with all seriousness and genuineness because we actually care about people. It is not just about dollars and cents. That is important—of course dollars and cents are important and we need to make sure there is a surplus, and we need to make sure there is good financial management—but, gosh, what good is good financial management if you are turning your back on the very people who have been paying off Labor’s debt during the coalition government? These people were paying taxes. We supported them because they were helping us to get over Labor’s poor management of the economy. Labor are now so hamstrung trying to prove their fiscal rectitude that they are turning their backs on the very reason governments exist: to take care of those who need help and need support.

There are lots of things that governments have to do, but there are also things that governments should do. This government, unfortunately, has its priorities completely wrong. It is a shame to say it: while we are talking about pensioners not having enough food to eat and $30 pay rises, the Labor Party in the other house are talking about the size of the beef stroganoff. It is a disgrace. Every single Australian should be embarrassed about what is happening in the other house. They were presented with a bill that was a fait accompli. The only thing they had to do was introduce it, yet they hid behind apparent legal advice.

I do not think the vibe works in the Senate or in the Australian parliament. It is not appropriate to invoke the Dennis Denuto defence—Dennis Denuto, that famed lawyer from The Castle, the man that we all love and think is fantastic—that it is the vibe that is going to prevent us from doing it. The only thing they have to do is grab this bill and bring it into the House. Let them initiate their own bill. We don’t care; we will support it. We will support their $30 a week pay rise or their $35 a week pay rise, if that is what they want to do. For goodness sake, even $20 a week would provide some relief for these poor people who are doing it really, really tough. But what do the government do? Nothing. They play the spin cycle. It is a shame and a tragedy. We will continue to raise this issue and many other issues, because that is what we are here for. We are here to stand up for people, to put people before politics. Unfortunately, the Rudd Labor government simply put the politics and the spin of politics and the appearance of action ahead of people’s needs. It is not good enough, it is not what they were elected to do, and at the next election I know that the people of Australia will say: ‘Enough is enough. Goodbye. Thank you, Mr Rudd.’ (Time expired)