Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I am aware of risks, and I wonder whether the senators opposite are aware of those risks. The Premier of New South Wales announced last week that he would take away the additional support this government is delivering to 84,000 New South Wales pensioners who live in public housing. We have given them additional support to meet the increased costs they will be facing and New South Wales is saying it is going to take 25 per cent of that assistance away as rent. It is going to rip off those pensioners in public housing and grab the assistance we are providing to them. It is not interested in the welfare of those pensioners. New South Wales senators have to say to us whether they support that. We know the WA Premier tried it on and within two days he walked away because he knew it was unfair and the Western Australian community was not going to cop it. But where are the New South Wales Liberal senators while Barry O'Farrell is ripping money off pensioners that is designed to support them?