Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I am very happy to confirm for Senator Seselja and for all Senate colleagues that the age pension will continue to increase and the pension supplement will continue to be paid. Age pension payments are increasing and they will continue to increase twice each year to keep up with the cost of living. In March this year, the pension increased by a maximum of $15.70 a fortnight for single pensioners and $11.90 a fortnight for each member of a couple, and the pension will increase again in September. That is the reality.

Mr President, you could well be forgiven for having a different perspective, for having construed a different fact and that is because of the outrageous and really quite irresponsible scare campaign those opposite have run, which has caused needless concern for Australia's age pensioners. In fact, I recently came across a brochure authorised by a Senator D. Cameron which said, 'Age pensioners lose $876 per annum senior supplement.' That was a lie. Senator Cameron and the Australian Labor Party know full well that age pensioners do not receive the senior supplement; indeed, they never have. They did not receive it under Labor and they do not receive it now. What some pensioners do receive is the pension supplement. I am pleased to inform the Senate that pensioners will keep their pension supplement and that the supplement will again increase in September. I am an optimist. I beseech those opposite to cease their scare campaign, to not needlessly concern Australia's age pensioners. (Time expired)