Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

My thanks to Senator Crossin for the question and for her ongoing support for action on climate change. The government's plan is clear. We have a plan in which polluters pay, Australian pensioners receive increased payments, Australian families get tax cuts and Australian families get increased family payments. It is a plan to cut pollution, to create clean energy jobs and to move to a clean energy economy. But again I say: pensioners receive higher payments and Australian families get tax cuts and increased family payments.

What we saw on the weekend was the shadow Treasurer not only boasting that he was going to be Treasurer in a few months time but being clear that the opposition's relentless negativity even extends to the increased pension payments and the other benefits under the carbon package—the clean energy package. So let us be very clear: the policy that Mr Hockey has signed those opposite up for is lower pensions, higher taxes and lower family payments. That is the policy you have signed up for: lower pensions, higher taxes and lower family payments. That is the policy of the coalition. I hope Mr Hockey took that through shadow ministry because those opposite are going to have to campaign to Australian pensioners at the next election on why they do not deserve an increase in the pension. They will have to campaign to Australian families on why they do not deserve increases in family payments. And they will have to campaign on why people in this country do not deserve an increase to the tax-free threshold, because that is now the coalition's policy. (Time expired)