ABBOTT'S ATTACK ON PENSIONERS

Media Release

Jenny Macklin MP

Shadow Minister for Families and Payments
 Shadow Minister for Disability Reform

Friday, 2 May 2014

Tony Abbott’s Commission of Audit represents an unprecedented attack on Australian pensioners.

Age pensioners, disability support pensioners and carers will all have their standard of living dramatically reduced if Tony Abbott accepts these recommendations, which would leave pensioners thousands of dollars a year worse off by 2030.
Any move to include these measures in the upcoming budget would be a complete betrayal of Australian pensioners, who were promised before the election that there would be no change to their pension.
The Prime Minister has no mandate to make changes to pensions in this year’s budget – regardless of when these measures commence. If he does, pensioners will never trust him again. And to add insult to injury, Tony Abbott has confirmed he will proceed with his $21 billion Paid Parental Leave Scheme, which would pay $50,000 to wealthy women to have a baby.
Why should pensioners, who are on less than $20,000 a year, have their support cut so millionaires can receive $50,000?

Tony Abbott’s priorities are completely twisted