Pensioners fear Abbott’s cruel cuts

About 3.5 million Australian pensioners – including 678,000 Queenslanders – will be worse off under an Abbott Government.

Figures from the Queensland Competition Authority, reported in today’s Courier Mail, show more than 1,000 Queensland pensioners and concession card holders have had their power cut off under LNP Premier Campbell Newman’s watch because they simply can’t afford their power bills. And they know it will only get worse if Tony Abbott is elected.

Tony Abbott has promised to scrap Labor’s Clean Energy Supplement – which is delivering more than $350 extra a year for single pensioners and $530 extra a year for pensioner couples.

Under an Abbott Government, $1 billion a year in pension payments will be axed – including more than $210 million a year from Queensland pensioners.

In today’s Courier Mail, 80-year-old Brisbane pensioner Maida Lilley said what other pensioners all across Queensland are deeply worried about.

“It’s going to be a difficult thing for pensioners if Tony Abbott is elected (prime minister) and it’s cancelled.”

Pensioners like Maida understand that the extra assistance Labor is delivering is helping them keep up with the cost of living, and they know if the Liberals come to government, every last cent will be ripped off them.

Labor understands that pensioners have limited room to move in their budgets.

That’s why we’ve delivered the single biggest boost to the pension ever, reformed the pension system and introduced the new Clean Energy Supplement so pensioners have more money in their pockets to pay the bills.

Since our historic pension reforms in 2009, the maximum rate of the pension has increased by $207 a fortnight for singles and $236 a fortnight for couples combined.

And the pension will keep going up under Labor.

But every pensioner knows what will happen if Tony Abbott is elected Prime Minister.

They know the Liberals will let the pension fall behind and make it harder for pensioners to manage their bills – just like they did the last time they were in Government.

Under an Abbott Government, every single pensioner in Australia would lose more than $350 a year and every pensioner couple would lose more than $530 a year.

Pensioners just can’t trust Tony Abbott.