Pensioners – Doorstop

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JOURNALIST: What do you think of Tony Abbott’s remarks?

JENNY MACKLIN: Well this just demonstrates how out of touch the Liberal Party is with the needs of pensioners. Last year the Liberal Party said they supported an increase in the pension, now the Liberal Party is saying they don’t support an increase in the pension. I think it demonstrates the Liberal Party all along have just been playing politics with pensioners’ lives. By contrast the Labor Government is intent on doing this properly. We’ve put in place a major review of the pension that will report to the Government at the end of February. We paid a down payment to pensioners in December $1,400 to single pensioners, $2,100 to couple pensioners, and we intend to reform the pension in the coming Budget.

JOURNALIST: What is the rationale behind the latest release that’s been announced about pensions (inaudible)

JENNY MACKLIN: Well we made a major commitment to pensioners in December that we would pay an increase, a down payment that was delivered in December. As I’ve just said $1,400 for singles, $2,100 for couple pensioners. We expect to receive the Report from the Pension Review by the end of February and we will respond to that Pension Review in the Budget.