5 years ago
MORRISON STILL CUTTING THE PENSION
THE HON LINDA BURNEY MP
For the sixth year in a row, the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Budget is cutting the pension.
Plans to cut the Pension Supplement after six weeks overseas, and extending the residency period for migrant pensioners from 10 to 15 years are still in the Budget.
Scott Morrison has spent the last five years – including three as Treasurer – trying to cut the pension and increase the pension age to 70.
This includes cutting $1 billion from pensioner concessions, which were designed to help with the cost of living.
The Liberals and Nationals also tried to cut pension indexation, which would have left pensioners $80 per week worse off.
The Government also did a deal with the Greens political party to change the assets test, cutting the pension by up to $12,000 for 370,000 Australians.
As Treasurer, Scott Morrison tried for years to cut the energy supplement for 1.5 million new pensioners.
This would have cost a single pensioner $14.10 per fortnight or around $365 a year, and cut $21.20 a fortnight or around $550 a year from couple pensioners.
This wasn’t a plan for a one-off cut. It was a cut every fortnight, every year.
Labor opposed this cut and committed to reversing it.
Six weeks out from an election, a one-off payment of $75 can’t undo six years of cuts.
Pensioners won’t forget, and they won’t be fooled.
They will see through Scott Morrison’s desperate and cynical pre-election politics.
No matter who their leader is – pension cuts are in the Liberal-National DNA.
Labor has fought cuts to pensions at every turn. Pensioners will always be better off with a Labor government.
Plans to cut the Pension Supplement after six weeks overseas, and extending the residency period for migrant pensioners from 10 to 15 years are still in the Budget.
Scott Morrison has spent the last five years – including three as Treasurer – trying to cut the pension and increase the pension age to 70.
This includes cutting $1 billion from pensioner concessions, which were designed to help with the cost of living.
The Liberals and Nationals also tried to cut pension indexation, which would have left pensioners $80 per week worse off.
The Government also did a deal with the Greens political party to change the assets test, cutting the pension by up to $12,000 for 370,000 Australians.
As Treasurer, Scott Morrison tried for years to cut the energy supplement for 1.5 million new pensioners.
This would have cost a single pensioner $14.10 per fortnight or around $365 a year, and cut $21.20 a fortnight or around $550 a year from couple pensioners.
This wasn’t a plan for a one-off cut. It was a cut every fortnight, every year.
Labor opposed this cut and committed to reversing it.
Six weeks out from an election, a one-off payment of $75 can’t undo six years of cuts.
Pensioners won’t forget, and they won’t be fooled.
They will see through Scott Morrison’s desperate and cynical pre-election politics.
No matter who their leader is – pension cuts are in the Liberal-National DNA.
Labor has fought cuts to pensions at every turn. Pensioners will always be better off with a Labor government.