Barnett’s cruel cash grab will hurt WA pensioners

More than 22,000 pensioners living in public housing in Western Australia will be worse off because of Premier Colin Barnett’s refusal to quarantine the Gillard Government’s upcoming pension increase from public housing rent calculations.

The Gillard Government will begin delivering this increase to pensioners from next month.

This increase amounts to about $338 a year for singles and about $510 a year for couples combined.

Colin Barnett’s decision not to quarantine this increase from public housing rents means he will now be taking an extra $85 a year from single pensioners, and $127 a year from pensioner couples.

It has become crystal clear that when Labor delivers a boost for pensioners, the Liberals just want to take it away.

This extra money from the Gillard Government is meant for pensioners. It is not for Colin Barnett and the West Australian Liberals.

Premier Barnett needs to listen to the pleas of thousands of pensioners in his state, who want the Gillard Government’s pension increases to help them make ends meet.

Instead, they’re facing another cash grab from Colin Barnett and the West Australian Government.