TWO YEARS IN AND STILL CUTTING THE PENSION

03 July 2018

Two years since the last election, out-of-touch Turnbull is just as determined as ever to keep cutting the pension.

The Liberals and Nationals have repeatedly tried to cut the pension over the last two years.
 
Legislation is currently before the Parliament to completely scrap the energy supplement for new pensioners – a cut of $14.10 per fortnight to single pensioners or around $365 a year, and a cut of $21.20 a fortnight or around $550 a year to couple pensioners.
 
Since 2017, 277,700 pensioners have seen their payments cut, and 92,300 people have lost the pension entirely, because of a dirty deal between the Conservatives and the Greens Political Party to change the pension assets test.
 
The Government still has legislation before the Parliament to take away the pension supplement for anyone who travels overseas for more than six weeks – ripping $120 million from the pockets of pensioners.
 
Malcolm Turnbull also wants to increase the pension residency requirement from 10 to 15 years, leaving many hard working Australians facing poverty.
 
Since the last election, this Government has refused to change the deeming rates – which are now much higher than the real rate of return pensioners can get on their modest savings.
 
On top of all this, the Liberals and Nationals are increasing the pension age to 70.
 
Only someone as arrogant and out-of-touch as Malcolm Turnbull would demand farmers, bricklayers and nurses work until they are 70.
 
The conservatives aren’t listening at all – pensioners simply can’t afford their cuts.
 
A Shorten Labor Government will protect the pension, reverse the cuts to the energy supplement and invest in local health services. Pensioners will always be better off with Labor.